Isner Vs Mahut the longest tennis match in history at Wimbledon Roger Federer loves it
John Isner and Nicolas Mahut have already surpassed the mark for the longest match in tennis history – and the match is still going. Can you believe this.
Isner took on Mahut on day two of Wimbledon; yes you heard it right, the first round match, which started on day two at Wimbledon will still be played on day 4. This match has already made history for the longest running tennis match. Previsuoly the longest tennis match lasted six hours and 33 minutes during the 2004 French Open.
The match did not just set the time record but also set a new record for:
1. the most aces served by a player in a match
2. and the most games played in a match at Wimbledon
And with the big-serving pair locked at 59-59 in the fifth set when they finally dragged their exhausted bodies off court 18 tonight, there’s still more to come tomorrow.
Roger Federer at his press conference had this to say. "It's unfortunate these guys are going to be a little bit tired tomorrow and the next day… and the next week… and the next month..." grinned Federer. "I've been following this as closely as I could. I walked on court at about 11 all in the fifth, and they're still going. This is absolutely amazing. In a way, I wish I was them, in some ways I wish I wasn't them. This is a very special match. I hope somehow this is going to end. They'll be fresh again tomorrow if they have to come back."
Both players are going to sleep very tight and had it not been for the bad light, the match would have still continued. Normally the crowd follows the big guns Roger Federer, Nadal and for home court advantage Andy Murray but any time records are involved, tennis fans pay attention.
With both Isner and Mahut secured only one break of serve each on the first day’s play, and no breaks having been conceded since the Mahut broke Isner in the second set it was always going to tough going for either player to gain the advantage in the deciding set, but no-one would have foreseen the titanic struggle that would unfold in the fifth.
This is turning into a battle between America and France; neither the American nor the Frenchman was prepared to concede any ground as they continued to relentlessly pound serve after serve and ace upon ace at one another on day two of the match.
The first break point, and match point, opportunity of the fifth set went to Isner at 10-9 but Mahut saved it with, yes, an ace. Neither player would have another chance to break the other’s serve until Isner generated two match points with the scores at 33-32. Mahut saved them both and went on to level the match once again in the 66th game of the final set.
Mahut finally secured his first break point chances of the deciding set with scores level at 50-50 in the fifth, as Isner’s weary body looked as though it may be the first to crack under the duress of a final set that had already ground on for hours. This time, it was the American who fought back from 15-40 to win the next four points and the game.
Eighteen more games were completed for the day without another break point chance presenting itself to either player before play was suspended once again in this epic battle.
Roger Federer loves it
A match which stretches into a 10th hour raises the inevitable questions of fifth set tie-breakers in Grand Slams, which only occur at the US Open. "I love this, I think it's perfect the way it is," countered the No.1 seed. "I know they're maybe not loving this, but I guess this is unheard of in our game. Normally there are breaks in tennis matches. John (Isner) is barely moving anymore, but he's still able to produce good serves when he has to. It's so impressive to see. I was watching this, and I don't know if I was crying or laughing. It was too much."
"I guess once you get to the point of 10 all, 20 all, you don't doubt anymore," the six-time champion continued. "You just go point by point. You hope not to be down 0 30 and if it happens, you concentrate a bit extra. But I guess in some ways you're also relaxed. You just say: 'whatever happens, happens'. When it gets important, you try to focus. Like this, you don't have that extra pressure and tension in your body. Maybe that's why these guys can do it for so long and so good. You just go with the flow. Obviously once it's 50 all, you're like: 'I don't want to lose this match anymore after putting in a heroic effort already'. Unfortunately there's going to be a loser, but I think both will come out as winners, that's for sure."
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