Set your alarm clock for the 2016 Australian Open tennis singles finals, which air live from Melbourne in the wee hours of the morning Saturday and Sunday Jan. 30-31. The women’s final match between Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber airs Saturday (3am ET on ESPN) with the men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray on Sunday (3am ET on ESPN). ESPN2 will air same-day encores of both matches at 9am ET (full schedule below).
Full press release and schedule from ESPN below:
Serena Seeks Steffi’s Slam Total of 22 at Australian Open Late Friday
- Serena, 6-0 in Finals Down Under, Faces First-Time Finalist Kerber
History awaits Down Under as top-seeded Serena Williams seeks her 22nd Major title – tying her with Steffi Graf and the Open Era record (Margaret Court won 24) – against No. 7 Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open Championship on ESPN late Friday, Jan. 29, at 3:30 a.m. ET/12:30 a.m. PT.
- The 34-year old Williams – 6-0 in previous finals in Melbourne – has not dropped a set and has looked even more invincible in getting to this point than during her remarkable three-Major-titles 2015.
- Kerber, 28, has seven career titles. The 5’8” lefthander is making her first appearance in a Major final; she twice reached the semifinal round of a Major (US Open 2011, Wimbledon 2012). She is the first German woman in the Australian Open final in 20 years (Anke Huber, 1996).
- The two have only met six times (all on hard courts), with the American taking five, all in straight sets. Kerber’s lone victory was in Cincinnati in 2012 (quarterfinals).
Second Men’s Semifinal, Women’s Doubles Final Tonight
The second men’s semifinal will be live on ESPN tonight, late Thursday at 3:30 a.m., with No. 2 Andy Murray facing No. 13 Milos Raonic of Canada. Murray has two Major titles, but is 0-4 in Australian Open finals, including last year. With a win, Raonic would become the first Canadian male to reach a Major final. The two have split six previous encounters.
In addition, tonight at midnight, the women’s doubles championship will be contested on WatchESPN: top-seeded Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza will face Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.
All Courts on WatchESPN
In addition to all of ESPN’s linear networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, etc.), WatchESPN has every match from every court at the Australian Open, including the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles, the boys and girls divisions and the legends and wheelchair competitions through the championships.
|
Date |
Time (ET) |
Event |
Network(s) |
|
|
Thu, Jan 28 |
MID – 2 a.m. |
Women’s Doubles Championship Hingis/Mirza vs. Hlavackova/Hradecka |
WatchESPN |
LIVE |
|
Thu, Jan 28 |
3:30 – 6 a.m. |
Men’s Semifinal #2 Murray vs. Raonic |
ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
LIVE |
|
Fri, Jan 29 |
2 – 6 p.m. |
Men’s Semifinal #2 Murray vs. Raonic |
ESPN2 |
Encore |
|
|
3 – 5:30 a.m. |
Women’s Championship S.Willliams vs. Kerber |
ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
LIVE |
|
Sat, Jan 30 |
9 – 11 a.m. |
Women’s Championship S.Williams vs. Kerber |
ESPN2 |
Encore |
|
|
3 – 6:30 a.m. |
Men’s Championship Djokovic vs. TBD |
ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
LIVE |
|
Sun, Jan 31 |
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. |
Men’s Championship Djokovic vs. TBD |
ESPN2 |
Encore |