Isner Wins Marathon Wimbledon Match, 70-68

Isner Wins Marathon Wimbledon Match, 70-68
By John Martin
Copyright By THE NEW YORK TIMES
June 24, 2010, 10:13 am
http://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/live-analysis-isner-mahut-to-resume-historic-match/?hp


On Wednesday, Isner held one match point at 10-9, and two match points at 33-32, but couldn’t convert. He held still another match point on Mahut’s serve at 58-59, but failed to convert.Adrian Dennis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images On Wednesday, Isner held one match point at 10-9, and two match points at 33-32, but couldn’t convert. He held still another match point on Mahut’s serve at 58-59, but failed to convert.

WIMBLEDON, England – John Isner of the United States outlasted Nicolas Mahut of France, 70-68, in the fifth set of their epic three-day first-round match at Wimbledon on Thursday. In an astonishing display of endurance, the players fought for 11 hours and 5 minutes, breaking all records for length of match, games played, and aces served.

When it ended, the All England Lawn Tennis Club awarded bowls of commemoration to the players and the chair umpire, Mohammed Lahyani of Sweden.

Isner called Mahut “an absolute warrior” in an on-court interview. Mahut, acknowledged the crowd’s support, calling it “amazing these last three days.”

“John deserved the win,” Mahut said. “I don’t know how many aces. It was an honor to play and we played the greatest match ever in the greatest place to play.”

Isner finished with 112 aces to Mahut’s 103. The historic struggle boiled down to an epic battle to break the other player’s serve. Isner finally managed it in the 138th game of the set, when he had a break point at 30-40 and fired a backhand passing shot past Mahut at the net. It was Isner’s fifth match point and only the third break of serve in the match.

The players started Thursday’s portion of the match tied 59-59.