Wimbledon 2010: Longest match winner John Isner thanks Andy Roddick for chicken and pizza
It was a match that was disrupted twice. However, it was a match that has gone down in history books for the longest tennis match ever played. When John Isner and Nicholas Mahut left Court 18 on June 23, the match was far from over. They had been on court for ten hours but still no result. The final deciding set was tied at 59 games all. Fading light disrupted play that meant the torture was to continue.
Both players had to come out again the next day to finish an epic match they had started. It would be a sleepless night for both players. The sun rises and it is June 24, both players come back on Court 18 to prove their might. It was not an easy ride but Isner prevailed 70-68, it was almost like playing another match altogether. After the torment of eleven hours and five minutes was over, John Isner explained to the media what his night had been like
Walking off the court on June 23 was not according to Isner’s wishes, he wanted to continue playing. But a sense of relief prevailed over his tired body as he walked into the dressing, he could not understand whether this was just a bad dream. Isner was enveloped with a feeling of delirium, he could not fathom what he had just gone through. He felt it was physically impossible for two players to be on court for ten long hours.
No tennis manual could ever teach a player how to react if such a situation is to occur. There is no right way of dealing with the fatigue and no miraculous advice to help a player back on their feet. But there was a formula that did seem to work for Isner. It was through some help of his own and some from his compatriot Andy Roddick. The first thing Isner did was to drink a revitalization shake that would nourish his body with all the carbohydrates that he lost during the marathon. To rid his body off all the fatigue a cold shower was necessary and that is exactly what Isner did.
The protein shake however, was not enough to satiate the hunger of a man who had not eaten a proper meal in ten hours. That is when Andy Roddick arrived bearing all sorts of American style food. Just the mere presence of a former champion was enough to boost Isner’s confidence. Roddick arrived bearing three boxes of pizza, chicken and mashed potatoes, basically food with a heavy concentrate of carbohydrates to keep the energy in Isner’s body flowing.
Isner admitted that having Roddick come to his room with dinner propelled his confidence even further. It was such a small deed that helped Isner in wanting to do more to make his country and his countrymen proud. He wanted to give back to those people who had entrusted so much faith in him. Isner, that night got less than four hours of sleep, as he had to be up bright and early for a practice session before the match.
Despite the showers, shakes and food, exhaustion still prevailed over John Isner, who still had an unfinished task. He however, still did not know how long he would have to be on the court for Day four. On the way to his marvellous victory, which also came after ten games, Isner admitted to the fact that he was relying more on instinct than on his mind. He did not pre-empt any move on Mahut’s part nor did he pre-plan any of his moves.
But what was it that motivated Isner throughout this epic duel? He believes that his fitness played a key role. Isner said his coach had once instilled this confidence in him that his fitness would lead him to win ten hour matches; he never thought that joke would ever become a reality. Isner strongly affirms the fact that it was his will that kept him going throughout the match.
There may have been one winner and one loser in the game, but in the history of tennis, both John Isner and Nicholas Mahut have been victorious. They have etched their names in history books, something that no player would be able to take away from them for a long time to come.
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