Wimbledon sees tennis’ longest match...and it’s not over yet
John Isner and Nicolas Mahut have already surpassed the mark for the longest match in tennis history – and they’re not done yet.
The first round match, which started on day two at Wimbledon and is now set to continue into day four has already smashed records for the most time taken to complete a match in tennis history (surpassing the previous mark of six hours and 33 minutes set at the French Open in 2004), the most aces served by a player in a match (now 98 and counting) and the most games played in a match at Wimbledon (163 so far).
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.
Poor light had forced the players off court at the end of the fourth set on day two at the All England Club, but the break in play did nothing to staunch the flow of aces from either player’s racquet when they returned to the court on day three.
With each player having 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.
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.
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