This Weekend In Sports — Wimbledon Finals and UFC 162
The tennis world's most prestigious title and a championship UFC fight highlight the upcoming sports calendar. Here's what to watch this weekend:
Thursday, July 4
2013 Wimbledon — Women's Semifinals
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England; 8 a.m. (ET) on ESPN
None of the four women who remain alive at Wimbledon have ever won a major title. Twentieth-seeded Kirsten Flipkens will take on 15th-seeded Marion Bartoli in one semifinal, while 23rd-seeded Sabine Lisicki faces fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in the other match. The winners will meet for the championship in the women's final on Saturday.
Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals
Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.; 11:05 a.m. (ET) on MLB Network
What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than watching two teams play the national pastime in Washington, DC? The Milwaukee Brewers (33-49) will send Donovan Hand (0-1, 2.63) to the mound to take on a Nationals' lineup rejuvenated by the return of Bryce Harper from injury. Rookie Taylor Jordan (0-1, 2.08) gets the start for Washington (42-41).
New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins
Target Field, Minneapolis, Minn.; 2:10 p.m. (ET) on MLB Network
The injury-plagued New York Yankees (44-39) have remained in the American League East race despite missing Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and other key players this season. They'll start David Phelps (5-5, 4.95) against the Minnesota Twins (36-44), who will counter with Kyle Gibson (1-0, 3.00).
Friday, July 5
2013 Wimbledon — Men's Semifinals
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England; 8 a.m. (ET) on ESPN
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic faces eighth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro in one semifinal. In Friday's other match, 24th-seeded Jerzy Janowicz will take on second-seeded Andy Murray, who rallied from two sets down to beat Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday. Friday's winners will play for the title on Sunday morning.
Saturday, July 6
2013 Wimbledon — Women's Final
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England; 9 a.m. (ET) on ESPN
The final two players remaining in the women's draw play for the Wimbledon title.
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants
AT&T Park, San Francisco; 7:15 p.m. (ET) on Fox
A long-standing National League rivalry resumes in the national spotlight. The defending world champion San Francisco Giants (39-44) send Chad Gaudin (2-1, 2.60) to the mound to quiet a dangerous Dodgers lineup whose biggest star over the past month has been rookie Yasiel Puig. Los Angeles (39-43) starts Stephen Fife (3-2, 2.83). He'll try to keep the Giants hitters off the bases.
Coke Zero 400
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.; 7:49 p.m. (ET) on TNT
The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup series returns to the Daytona International Speedway for a night race. Standings leader Jimmie Johnson remains 38 points ahead of second-place Carl Edwards. Third-place Clint Bowyer is 41 points off the lead.
UFC 162 — Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas; 10 p.m. (ET) on Pay-Per-View
UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva puts his title on the line against Chris Weidman. Silva is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but Weidman has proven himself to be a dangerous opponent thus far in his short UFC career. Among the matches scheduled on the undercard are Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira; Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie; Mark Muñoz vs. Tim Boetsch and Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Silver.
Sunday, July 7
2013 Wimbledon — Men's Final
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England; 9 a.m. (ET) on ESPN
The final players remaining in the men's draw battle each other for the Wimbledon championship.
Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Angels
Angels Stadium, Anaheim, Calif.; 8:05 p.m. (ET) on ESPN
The American League East-leading Boston Red Sox (51-34) play the Los Angeles Angels (40-43). Starting pitchers for the game were not announced as of Wednesday morning.