After three grueling days, American John Isner has won the longest match in tennis history, beating Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the final set. The two picked up the fifth set at 59-59 yesterday, and continued on serve, with no break points coming until Isner hit a backhand passing shot to finish the contest in front of a packed crowd, the AP reports.
"When you play a match like this, in an atmosphere like this, you don't feel tired out here, really, even though that's exactly what we both were. This crowd was fantastic," Isner told ESPN after the match. Asked about Mahut, he replied, "The guy is an absolute warrior. ... To be able to share this day with him was an absolute honor."
One day after winning the longest tennis match ever, John Isner lost in about 75 minutes. The Wimbledon marathon man looked weary from the outset today, required treatment for a neck injury, and was beaten by unseeded Thiemo de Bakker 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. Isner had no aces after hitting a record 112 in his epic three-day victory over Nicolas Mahut.
"I've never been this exhausted before," Isner said. "Mentally and physically, I was obviously a bit drained. I just didn't have much in the way of my legs. I was just low on fuel out there. Didn't really have a chance."
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