John Isner downs Nicolas Mahut in the first round re-match – Wimbledon Championships 2011
World number 31 John Isner of USA prevailed over world number 94 Nicolas Mahut of France in a much anticipated re-match of their last year’s historic encounter, beating his opponent in straight sets 7-6(4), 6-2, 7-6(6) in the first
round of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club in London on Tuesday.
Isner defeated Mahut in the longest match in tennis history, spanning three days and lasting 11 hours and five minutes in total, last year. The American won 70-68 in the final set in the opening round clash.
However, this time it was a straight sets victory for Isner. Two of the three sets were taken to a tie-breaker but Mahut could not match last year’s performance.
The first set was a repeat of last year’s match as none of the two players was able to break other’s serve, equalising the score at 6-6 and forcing a tie-break. Isner controlled the proceedings in the tie-break, clinching a couple
of mini-breaks and winning it 7-4. The American hit fifteen winners and won 76 percent of the first service points in the opening set.
Isner thrashed the French in the second set, breaking him a couple of times and not giving any break back opportunity. The American served out the set in the eighth game, claiming it 6-2. The six feet and nine inches tall had a
good first serve conversion rate as he converted an incredible 92 percent of the first serves into points in the second set. Isner hit eight winners, while, Mahut was unable to hit a single winner in the second set. The French failed in saving two of the four
break points he faced and did not receive any break point in the second set.
Isner and Mahut broke each other once in the final set, taking it to a tie-break. The American bagged a late mini-break in the tie-break, winning it 8-6. Both players capitalised on the only break point opportunity they received
in the third set. The match lasted for two hours and three minutes.
Talking to the reporters after the match, Isner said, "Nothing's going to live up to that match. It wasn't going to go that long. The conditions were probably a little bit slower today because of the weather. I was a little tight.
Won that first set breaker. That was huge. That took a lot of pressure off me.”
Mahut said, commenting on the match. “Everything was different. I mean, the conditions were different. It's another year, another match, another tournament. [It] was difficult to play this match. We talked about last year during
three days. That was not easy. But he handled much better than I did.”
Isner is slated to face sixteenth seed Nicolas Almagro of Spain in the second round.
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