The opening day of The Championships 2010 started with the usual sense of excitement. The weather was surprisingly sunny and matches were progressing well. What began to unfold on the second day, however, defied any expectations and created two unlikely Wimbledon heroes.
At 6.13pm on Tuesday 22nd June, two players walked out onto Court 18 ready to play their first-round singles match; the American John Isner and the Frenchman Nicolas Mahut.
The match started off with ease. Isner took the first set 6-4, followed by Mahut taking the next two 3-6, 6-7(7), and Isner taking back the fourth set 7-6(3). At 9.07pm, the match was suspended until the next day. At 2.05pm the next day, the fifth and final set started. Point after point was scored with neither player relinquishing the prospect of winning. At 5.45pm, the match officially became the longest one in tennis history with the score standing at 32-32.
Spectators were captivated. The match was so intense that the scoreboard decided it couldn’t take the excitement any longer and stopped working when the score hit 47-47!
Matches from the major show courts were taken off the big screen on the hill and replaced by the action on Court 18. At 9.09pm, the match was once again suspended until the next day. The score at this point stood at 59-59.
How did the players maintain their energy? Andy Roddick is said to have delivered three boxes of pizza and mashed potatoes to Isner!
At 3.40pm on Thursday 24th June, the match once again recommenced. After an hour and seven minutes of play, the fifth set finally produced a victor with Isner winning 70-68. In total, the final set lasted 8 hours and 10 minutes! The new record now stood at 11 hours and five minutes over three days, and consisted of 183 games.
Immediately after the match, Ann Jones and Tim Henman came onto court and presented both players with a 10 inch Tipperary Crystal Bowl and six Waterford Crystal Wimbledon champagne flutes.
The chair umpire, Mohamed Lahyani – who had sat through each day without a break – also received a 10 inch Tipperary Crystal Bowl, a Wimbledon tie and Wimbledon silver cufflinks.
To commemorate the match, a blue plaque was installed on the outside wall of Court 18. Visiting The Championships this year? Be sure to take a look at the plaque. Further information regarding this spectacular match can also be found in the Museum.
