US Open Prime Time Day Five: Serena – Venus XXX under the Lights on ESPN

Daytime on ESPN at Noon ET, and on ESPN+ with #11 John Isner on Grandstand

The 30th meeting of legendary sisters Venus and Serena Williams headlines Friday’s US Open prime-time “double doubleheader” of third round matches on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET (transitions to ESPN2 at 9 p.m.).  Serena, 36 and a 23-time Major champion, is the #17 seed and leads the series 17-12 (10-9 on hard courts, 3-2 in the US Open).  Venus, 38 and the #16 seed, has won five Majors, including twice in New York.  She won their most recent meeting, in March in Indian Wells, Calif.  This is the earliest they have met in a Major since their very first professional meeting, the Round of 64 at the 1998 Australian Open.

In addition to the Williams Sisters in the first match in Arthur Ashe Stadium, #3 Juan Martin del Potro will play #31 Fernando Verdasco in the nightcap.  Simultaneously, the doubleheader in Louis Armstrong Stadium will start with #25 Milos Raonic vs. 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka followed by #8 Karolina Pliskova vs. American Sofia Kenin.

Afternoon Action

Starting at noon, ESPN’s daytime third round matches on Ashe, Armstrong and Court 17 include:

• 17-time Major champion #1 Rafael Nadal vs. #27 Karen Khachanov
• Defending champion #3 Sloane Stephens vs. two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka, who has twice reached the US Open final.
• Last year’s finalist (also at the recent Wimbledon) #5 Kevin Anderson vs. #28 Denis Shapovalov
• #15 Elise Mertens vs. #23 Barbora Strycova
• #7 Elina Svitolina vs. Qiang Wang
• #20 Borna Coric vs. Daniil Mevedev

American John Isner leads the lineup on ESPN+, the new direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN.  Starting at 11 a.m., key players in action include:

• #11 John Isner vs. Dusan Lajovic
• #9 Dominic Thiem vs. American Todd Fritz
• #18 Ashleigh Barty vs. Karolina Muchova who ousted Garbine Muguruza
• #19 Anastasija Sevastova vs. Ekaterina Makarova

ESPN and the US Open

ESPN has exclusive live action of the US Open with 130 hours on television and 1,300 more streaming live on the ESPN app via ESPN+ and ESPN3.  The daily action from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will culminate with the Women’s Championship on Saturday, Sept. 8, and the Men’s Championship on Sunday, Sept. 9, both at 4 p.m.

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