For the first time in 14 years there is a German in the women’s final at London-based tennis tournament Wimbledon. And as memories of Steffi Graf come pouring back, Germany is excited to watch 23-year-old Sabine Lisicki against France’s Marion Bartoli.

But Friday brought bad news for lots of Germans without a Sky Sports subscription – the match will not be aired on public television. ARD put in a request to Sky to air the match, but it was rejected.

Speaking to media magazine DWDL.de, Sky spokesman Ralph Fürther said upon receiving the request to show the match, Sky “checked it in detail and found it insufficient.”

“I can confirm the request from ARD, but cannot say more about it,” head of Sky Sports communications Dirk Grosse told the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily newspaper. “We are very happy to have the Wimbledon tournament,” he added.

The news has not gone down well in tennis circles, with national trainer Barbara Rittner taking to social media site Twitter to voice her disappointment. “The Wimbledon finale not on ARD or ZDF!!! The loser here is tennis,” she wrote.

Sky Sports, the German branch of which is based in Munich, has 3.4 million subscribers said the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Other tennis tournaments the Grand Slam Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open will all be aired on public television in Germany.

The Local/jcw