...especially compared with the EPIC tennis match that just concluded between John Isner and some guy named Mahut (french...who cares what his name is...)! Holy shit, every time I feel like I can't go on during my half this Sunday I'm going to think of this FIRST round match at Wimbledon between a number 23 seed and unseeded player.
Clearly exhausted, Isner powered through for the win!
John Isner went ot UGA and graduated a year behind me. If I could marry him, I probably would (in fact, I sometimes refer to him as my boyfriend). He served a record-breaking 112 aces and Mahut served 103. The previous record? A meager 78! The match lasted more than 10 hours and spanned 3 days due to darkness. If you care to read a play by play, the NY Times has a great rundown on its blog which you can find here.
This is Isner's first win at Wimbledon EVER and its going down in the history books. Both players and the chair umpire will be given commerative bowls with the details etched on them. The previous record for longest match was in 1968 at Wimbledon and clocked in at 6 hours and 33 minutes. The final set of this match ALONE broke that record. Both players were clearly evenly matched. So well matched that Betfair was taking bets on who would win the match and how (including an option where the umpire falls asleep). The scoring for the final set got so high, the scoreboard got stuck at 47-47 and had to be reprogrammed overnight by a guy from IBM (who promised so long as they didn't go above 99 games, the scoreboard would be fine!). Isner also set the record for most aces in a SINGLE set at 84 in the final set.
Isner, 25, is currently the number two men's player for the USA(behind Andy Roddick) and also sits behind Roddick for the fastest serve on record (Roddick clocks in at 155 mph, Isner served 143 during this match which is the fastest at the 2010 Wimbledon). It's been awesome watching him do big things after college and knowing that I went to school with him! Damn Good Dawg and an inspiration to us all!
3 comments:
He's so hott! So is Roddick.
Men's tennis= A great sport :)
Haha...I had the biggest crush on him in college and apparently one night got drunk with him. That's a story for another day!
Oooh do tell!
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