(January 4, 2013)From ESPN – In January, ESPN Classic will present 80 hours of Australian Open programming – great matches, some on the day of a significant anniversary, plus tennis-themed editions of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning SportsCentury series and other interview shows.
Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 12 a.m. ET (Jan. 7 at 9 p.m. PT), ESPN Classic will air Australian Open programming virtually around the clock until Friday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. The marathon will climax with three memorable men’s matches from a year ago – the semifinals pitting Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal against Roger Federer, and the championship between Djokovic and Nadal. At 5 hours, 53 minutes, it stands as tennis’ longest Grand Slam final in history.
Later in the month, ESPN Classic will air a number of Australian Open matches upon a significant anniversary (5th, 10th, etc.), including Andy Roddick’s epic 21-19 fifth set vs. Younes El Aynaoui in the 2003 Australian Openquarterfinals (January 22, 9 a.m.), the Williams Sisters squaring off in the 2003 Women’s Final (January 24, 5 p.m.) and the 1993 Women’s Final between Monica Seles and Steffi Graf (January 29, 5 p.m.).
The 2013 Australian Open
ESPN’s 29th consecutive Australian Open will begin Sunday, Jan. 13, with more than 100 live hours on ESPN2 HD (50+ more in afternoon reairs) and 600+ on ESPN3. Daily action continues each night with afternoon reairs through the women’s championship Saturday, Jan 26, and the men’s championship Sunday, Jan. 27, both at 3 a.m. with reairs later each day at 9 a.m. and in prime time.
| Date | Time (ET) | Event |
| Tues, Jan 8 | 12 – 2 a.m. | 1993 Women’s Final: Seles vs. Graf |
| 2 – 4 a.m. | 1996 Women’s Final: Huber vs. Seles | |
| 4 – 6 a.m. | 1991 Women’s Final: Seles vs. Novotna | |
| 7 – 7:30 a.m. | Up Close Classics: Jimmy Connors | |
| 7:30 – 8 a.m. | SportsCentury: Chris Evert | |
| 8 – 10 a.m. | 2011 Women’s Round of 16: Schiavone vs. Kuznetsova | |
| 10 – 11:30 a.m. | 2001 Women’s Semifinal: Capriati vs Davenport | |
| 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | 2001 Women’s Final: Capriati vs Hingis | |
| 1 – 3 p.m. | 1988 Men’s Final: Wilander vs Cash | |
| 3 – 5 p.m. | 1988 Women’s Semifinal: Evert vs Navratilova | |
| 5 – 7 p.m. | 1988 Women’s Final: Graf vs Evert | |
| 7 – 10 p.m. | 2005 Men’s Quarterfinal: Hewitt vs Nalbandian | |
| 10 p.m. – MID | 1995 Men’s Final: Agassi vs Sampras | |
| Wed, Jan 9 | 12 – 2 a.m. | 2011 Men’s Final: Djokovic vs Murray |
| 2 – 4 a.m. | 2000 Men’s Semifinal: Agassi vs Sampras | |
| 4 – 6 a.m. | 2003 Men’s Final: Agassi vs Schuettler | |
| 7 – 8 a.m. | SportsCentury: Steffi Graf | |
| 8 – 10 a.m. | 2002 Women’s Final: Capriati vs Hingis | |
| 10 a.m. – Noon | 2010 Women’s Final: S.Williams vs Henin | |
| Noon – 2 p.m. | 1993 Women’s Final: Seles vs Graf | |
| 2 – 4 p.m. | 1993 Men’s Final: Courier vs Edberg | |
| 4 – 6 p.m. | 2008 Women’s Final: Sharapova vs Ivanovic | |
| 6 – 8 p.m. | 2008 Men’s Final: Djokovic vs Tsonga | |
| Thur, Jan 10 | 12 a.m. – 5 a.m. | 2005 Men’s Semifinal: Federer vs Safin |
| 5 – 5:30 a.m. | Jim Rome Classics: Andre Agassi | |
| 5:30 – 6 a.m. | SportsCentury: Zina Garrison | |
| 7 – 7:30 a.m. | Schaap One on One: Martina Navratilova | |
| 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. | SportsCentury: Martina Navratilova | |
| 8:30 – 11 a.m. | 2005 Men’s Round of 16: Hewitt vs Nadal | |
| 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | 1995 Men’s Quarterfinal: Sampras vs Courier | |
| 1 – 3 p.m. | 2003 Women’s Final: V.Williams vs S.Williams | |
| 3 – 8 p.m. | 2003 Men’s Quarterfinal: Roddick vs El Aynaoui | |
| Fri, Jan 11 | 12 a.m. – 5 a.m. | 2009 Men’s Semifinal: Nadal vs Verdasco |
| 5 – 5:30 a.m. | Schaap One on One: Billie Jean King | |
| 5:30 – 6 a.m. | Firestone Chats: Tennis Legends Ashe, King, McEnroe & Connors | |
| 7 – 8 a.m. | SportsCentury: John McEnroe | |
| 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. | 2009 Men’s Final: Nadal vs Federer | |
| 1 – 3 p.m. | 2012 Men’s Semifinal: Djokovic vs Murray | |
| 3 – 5 p.m. | 2012 Men’s Semifinal: Nadal vs Federer | |
| 5 – 8 p.m. | 2012 Men’s Final: Djokovic vs Nadal | |
| Tue, Jan 22 | 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | 2003 Men’s Quarterfinal: Roddick vs El Aynaoui – * |
| Thur, Jan 24 | 5 – 7 p.m. | 2003 Women’s Final: V.Williams vs S.Williams – * |
| Fri, Jan 25 | 3 – 5 p.m. | 2008 Women’s Final: Sharapova vs Ivanovic – * |
| 5 – 7 p.m. | 2003 Men’s Final: Agassi vs Schuettler – * | |
| Mon, Jan 28 | 5 – 7 p.m. | 2008 Men’s Final: Djokovic vs Tsonga – * |
| Tue, Jan 29 | 5 – 7 p.m. | 1993 Women’s Final: Seles vs Graf – * |
| Wed Jan 30 | 6 – 8 p.m. | 1993 Men’s Final: Courier vs Edberg – * |
* – Date of actual anniversary (5th,10th or 20th)
