Photo: Marvel Comics
Wimbledon Court 18, June 24, 2010It went on and on and on, and then on some more...some thought it might never end...
In the longest professional tennis match in history, No. 23 seed John Isner (USA) defeated Nicolas Mahut (France) in the first round at Wimbledon in an unbelievable five (5) set marathon.
The insane final score was:6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68.
Yes, 70-68 in the fifth and final set!
The match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, stretching out over 3 days. Each player hit over 100+ aces. It was an amazing display of physical fitness and mental strength by two tennis warriors, each pushing their own boundries of endurance and will.
At the conclusion of the match, both exhausted players hugged each other at the net in front of a wildly cheering crowd. With the world's media and tennis fans around the globe watching, the All-England Club honored each player and the Umpire Mohammed Lahyani with special awards for their history-making efforts and accomplishment. Some, including Andy Roddick on Twitter, said that such a match might never happen again.
As John McEnroe commented on BBC during the halt to play last night because of darkness, "This match was the greatest advertisement we've ever had for the sport... It showed how physically capable tennis players are. I think the respect level for the sport will go way up."
No substitutes, no team-mates, no coaching, no tie-break, and no real time outs...
No prisoners, no retreat and no surrender...
Simply a fight to the finish...
Lessons learned...
*Never Give Up
*Fitness is King
*The world's finest athletes in the loneliest of sports might indeed be Tennis Players
This tennis match was one for the ages - it showcased the resiliency and indefatigable nature of man's spirit...and the sportsmanship and honor of that grandest of games - tennis!
Outstanding!
Gary
If only we could get those with their brains glued to World Cup to see THIS international sport as perhaps the best display of determination and grit in the scope of all sports today. This just confirms what I have personally always known–tennis players are some of the best athletes on the market. And what a bargain these players are compared to most of our overpaid, over-hyped so called "superstars."
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