Longest Tennis Match Ever

[Fyrebyrd]

Anybody paying attention to Wimbledon?
In the 5th set at Wimbledon there is no 5th set Tiebreak, it simply continues until one player goes up by two games and wins.

Currently there is a match that is currently 45 games to 45 games in the 5th set. The game has been going on for 8 HOURS!!!

[Fyrebyrd]

The match is currently at 136 games. For a little perspective from non tennis people. The minimum games needed to win a match is 18 games as each set is won by winning 6 games (sometimes 7)

[Fyrebyrd]

Set 5 is on its 100th game. Most sets are won in 10 games or less. This is absolutely unreal. I don't see this ending soon either. Both players are too tired to break the others serve.

[Fyrebyrd]

Quick Note. This game started YESTERDAY at 6pm and was suspended at 9 due to lack of light. I believe only the main court has lighting. It's currently past 9 there, they are about to hit a match time of 10 hours, and they are now suspending the game again to start tomorrow.

[Future Walk-On]

just started a thread about this before i saw this one.

59-59

exactly 10 hours

wow.

just the 5th set alone has surpassed the record for longest match ever. 6.5 hours.

[Future Walk-On]

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/ten...ory?id=5319726

[Da Coach]

Sorry I missed this match (not really).

I am not much of a tennis fan. I wish there were more Americans to compete for championships on the men's side.

[Fyrebyrd]

For the record, the match is between 23rd ranked American John Isner and unranked Frenchman Nicolas Hamut

[bigjimmy]

This was a classic grass court match, with of course the exception being a
5th set of 112 games and still counting. Here are some of the mind blowing stats:

Winners Isner 218 Mahur 216 Unforced errors Isner 56 Mahur 53 Double Faults Isner 9 Mahur 20
Aces Isner 98 Mahur 94 1st Serve % Isner 74% Mahur 66% Total Points won Isner 428 Mahur 449

Each guy had just one break of service. Isner had 4 match points including in the last game they played while Mahut didn't have his first break point in the 5th set until the 101st game. WOW! By the way Mahut got into Wimbledon as a qualifier and in his 2nd round match won the 3rd set 24-22. I would guess that they both have cramps in places that they didn't know had a possibility they could get cramps in.

[Da Coach]

This match between Mahut and Isner has resumed this morning. I thought with each player being fresh, maybe someone's serve would be broken and the game would end. But that hasn't happened yet. It has already gone 9 games to 9 this morning, and the 5th set is still tied now at 68 games to 68. Mahut just won his 500th point of the match!

I wonder if this ridiculous marathon will lead to some kind of change in the way such drawn-out matches might end?

I am not in favor of the method used in the World Cup, btw, where teams tied in points and goal-differential after the pool play simply draw lots to see who advance. I am stunned that in such a huge worldwide competetion in a sport that is revered by more people than any other, that teams can be eliminated from the World Cup by drawing lots, and not by settling it on the field!

[Da Coach]

BTW- this match is live on ESPNU right now.
With the soccer games ending, this is worth watching!

[Fyrebyrd]

Holy crap its over

John Isner defeats Nicolas Hamut

6-4 3-6 7-6 6-7 70-68

[Da Coach]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/livematch/380703.html

I checked Wikipedia to see what was the longest set and match prior to this one, and amazingly, a minute after it ended, Wikipedia has already been updated to show this match as the longest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_tennis_match_records

[Fyrebyrd]

I checked Wikipedia to see what was the longest set and match prior to this one, and amazingly, a minute after it ended, Wikipedia has already been updated to show this match as the longest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest..._match_records

The previous record was in the 6 hour range.

[Da Coach]

I was able to find this answer-

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_longest_tennis_set

Prior to the 5th set of this match that ended 70-68, the previous longest set was in Wimbledon, where a doubles match that lasted 6 hours had a final set score of 26-24.
The previous longest set in a singles match was a 6-hour match between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer that ended with a final set of 16-14.

The match that ended today lasted 11 hours, 5 minutes.