BNP Paribas Showdown 2013 March 4 on ESPN2 is a tennis exhibition featuring Rafael Nadal vs. Juan Martin Del Potro and Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
The BNP Paribas Showdown celebrates World Tennis Day on Monday, March 4, with an exhibition featuring Rafael Nadal vs. Juan Martin Del Potro and Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. ESPN3 begins online coverage at 7pm ET with Williams-Azarenka — a rematch of the 2012 US Open won by Williams — and ESPN2 will begin its coverage at 9pm ET with Nadal-Del Potro. Below is ESPN’s press release:
Tennis’ BNP Paribas Showdown Live from MSG on March 4
No. 1 Serena vs. No. 2 Azarenka in US Open Rematch
Nadal – Sidelined July-February – in First U.S. Match in 11 Months vs. Del Potro
ESPN3 and ESPN2 will present live the BNP Paribas Showdown 2013 from Madison Square Garden on Monday, March 4, with two star-studded matches: a US Open rematch between the world’s top two ranked players, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka followed by Rafael Nadal – who recently returned to action after being sidelined since Wimbledon last summer – facing former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro.
ESPN holds exclusive live rights to the matches, and ESPN3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET with ESPN2 joining at 9 p.m. Chris Fowler will call the matches with Cliff Drysdale, Mary Joe Fernandez and Patrick McEnroe. The Nadal-Del Potro match will also be available on broadband in the U.S. in Spanish on ESPN Deportes +.
“The BNP Paribas Showdown – with top stars in compelling matchups from a venue rich in tennis history – launches a great month of tennis from ESPN, crisscrossing the country from Indian Wells to Miami and in early April the Family Circle Cup from Charleston,” said Jason Bernstein, senior director, programming and acquisitions in ESPN’s programming department. “We enjoyed a successful start to the year with the Australian Open, and ESPN is there with a year-round narrative, showcasing the deepest tennis schedule on television, broadband and via WatchESPN for fans on the go.”
Williams, holder of 15 major titles, regained the world’s top ranking after last week’s WTA event in Qatar, despite losing to Azarenka in the final 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3. Azarenka, winner of the last two Australian Open championships, is now ranked No. 2. The two return to New York, where Williams defeated Azarenka in last September’s thrilling three-set US Open final.
Nadal, who counts seven French Open titles among his 11 major victories, recently returned to action after a seven-month hiatus because of injury. He recently reached the final of both singles and doubles in his first comeback event and is ranked No. 5 in the world. He has not competed in the U.S. since playing in Miami last March. Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champ, is currently ranked No. 7.
The BNP Paribas Showdown from MSG will air live internationally on ESPN’s networks in more than 130 countries and over 47 million households throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, UK, Middle East, Africa and the Pacific Rim, including on ESPN Latin America in Del Potro’s home country of Argentina. In addition, ESPN’s broadband players in Latin America & the Caribbean (ESPN Play) and Australia & New Zealand (ESPN3) will also stream live simulcast coverage of this event.
