When I went to sleep after 1am on Monday morning, the Wimbledon match between America’s John Isner and 12th seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was still going on.
In a fifth set lasting over two hours, the score was 17-all when I hit the pillow. It was both exciting and boring.
I later read that Tsonga had won the marathon final set 19-17 to meet another Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, in the next round.
Tsonga had won the marathon 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 19-17.
If the final set of 36 games looks extraordinary, then what about a final set of 138 spread over three days due to rains, also At Wimbledon? The 6’9” tall Isner is the common factor, however he was the winner of the 2010 super marathon.
So should tie-breakers be introduced in the final set?
On June 24, 2010, Isner took three days to defeat Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68.
The match of 183 games took a total of 11 hours and five minutes from 22 to 24 June to complete. The 138-game fifth set alone lasted eight hours, 11 minutes.
Picking up at 59-59 in the fifth set on the third day, the match continued on serve with no break points until the American hit a backhand shot past the Frenchman to finish the contest in front of a packed audience.
This mega marathon is now referred to as ‘the endless match’.
In all 216 aces were hit, Isner 113 to Mahut’s 103. All three are records in a match.
After the torrid marathon, Isner, Mahut and chair umpire were eacg presented with crystal bowls and champagne flutes.
I also remember Britain’s Andy Murray, seeded seven, taking two days to beat Germany’s 28th seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 12-10 in the 2014 French Open.
Tennis marathons were commoner before tie-breakers were introduced in all sets except the final set.
Although frustrating to the tournament organisers, the prolonged sets had that certain aura.
One of the most cliff-hanging marathons was played in Los Angeles in May 1949, when Ted Schroeder and Richard Falkenberg defeated the colourful Pancho Gonzales and H Stewart 36-34, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 19-17 in the South California Championships final.
The see-saw tussle between the Americans lasted four hours and 45 minutes, as 135 games were hotly contested. A world record? Not quite.
Richard Leach and Richard Dell overcame fellow Americans Tom Mozur and Lenny Schloss 3-6, 49-47, 22-20 at Newport, Rhode Island on August 18 to 19, 1967. That means 147 games. The 96-game second set was then the longest on record in senior tennis, according to Lance Tingay in The Guinness Book of Facts and Feats.
Of course, that was before the titanic Isner-Mahut final set.
The introduction of tie-breakers (apart from the final set) has reduced marathons. Should tie-breakers be also introduced in the final set to avoid prolonged matches and ever-lasting tension?
More tennis marathons will feature in Part 2.
Former Wimbledon champion, double grand slam winner and Australian Open finalist Garbine Muguruza has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 30.…
Rafael Nadal has hailed the brilliance of Alex de Minaur, calling him "a great player" after the Australian forced the Spanish legend to say…
The clay season promises to be one of high level and tight margins. With the Monte Carlo open just around the corner, it will…
In incredible scenes, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's quarter-final clash with Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells was halted abruptly due to a "bee invasion." Less…
Marathon man Jordan Thompson has finally clinched his first ATP Tour title, with the Australian upsetting Norwegian Casper Ruud to lift the trophy in…
Alex de Minaur has earned the perfect 25th birthday present, booking a place in the final of the Rotterdam Open with an emphatic revenge…
