The match that broke Wimbledon’s online scoreboard. No really (it still thinks it’s 8 all in the fourth)
The match that gave me a new found respect for Mohammed Lahyani’s sore bottom. No. Er. That came out wrong.
When they said “30 all” it wasn’t points they were referring to, and when they said “40 all” it wasn’t deuce.
When Federer went down a set on Centre Court it didn’t seem to register.
When Dent served at 148mph - the fastest serve in Wimbledon history against Djokovic on Court 1, no one seemed to care.
I’ll stop talking in italics now, because I know how annoying I find it when others do. And because it looks like I’m whispering. Which I’m not.
I took a break from proceedings at 51-51 (sue me), and went out to watch the cricket at my local club. A civilised sport with designated start and end times.
On my way back I talked tennis with a complete stranger in the street. I told him it was 51 all in the fifth. He punched me in the face. Before calling the police.
Mahut had completed a 24-22 win over Alex Bogdanovic in qualifying and another five setter in the main draw just to reach this point. Yet still somehow managed to look the fresher of the two.
Both superhuman and inhumane in it’s endurance, or one HELL of a poker face.
He was also serving second and thus playing catch up for the entire set, yet still managed to ratchet up only four less aces than his taller opponent despite not possessing half his serve.
Mahut: He's [Isner] just a champ....crowd are amazing...."
Isner: “Nothing like this will happen again. Ever”
Djokovic: Maybe they should have agreed to play a tie-break at 50-all!"
Federer: "I love this! I don't know if I was crying or laughing. It was too much."
-- BBC
As heroic as it all was, should it really have gone on so long?
There were those suggesting it wouldn’t have gone on for half, quarter, or even an eighth of the time it did had a Naderer or even a Muzzard or Djoko been on the other side of the net.
Heroic Endurance or simply a haemorrhaging break point conversion rate?
Next time can we flip a coin or something?
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