Isner Wins Longest Match in History

Sports announcers at Wimbledon were left scrambling for words as the longest match in history finally came to end on Thursday between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. The three-day match, suspended twice due to darkness, clocked in at a mind-boggling 11 hours and 5 minutes. The longest match before this one lasted 6 and half hours, less time than it took Isner and Mahut to battle out the fifth set of their record shattering match.

Could there ever be a match this close again??? The stats speak for themselves:

Isner landed 74% of his first serves. Mahut landed 67%.

Isner had 112 aces. Mahut had 103 (both totals trampling the previous high of 78)

Isner had 11 fewer double faults (10-21)

Mahut had 13 fewer unforced errors  (52-39)

Isner won the match (6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68

… even though Mahut won more overall points (478-502)

Four times Isner had match point, but each time Mahut defied the odds and won back the point. When the players broke at dusk for the second time, unable to see the ball anymore after over 7 hours of back-and-forth battling on Wednesday, the crowd gave Isner and Mahut a standing ovation.

On Thursday, the crowd roared once more as the players walked onto the court, tied at 59-all. Can you BELIEVE IT?? For about an hour, both players dominated with their serves. The level of focus and physical endurance it took for both players to be acing each other three days in a row is nothing short of inspirational.

In the final game, Mahut gave Isner an opening after netting a drop shot on consecutive points. With his fifth match point, the first of the day, Isner ended the historic occasion with an up-the-line backhand. He collapsed on the grass. Perhaps more amazed by what just happened than anyone else, Isner suddenly sprang to his feet and started applauding with the crowd.