Tennis players

[Paul Bearer 6,102]

There's quite an amazing match (still) going on at Wimbledon at the moment - the score between Isner and Mahut is 55-55 in the final set, match time about 9 hours. I feel tired just watching it.

 

59-59 darkness stopped play. I assume this is some kind of record?

[themaninblack 2,112]

Time they made Wimbledon more like Wimbledon again and make it a game for serve-volleyers rather than have these baseline slug fests...

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

It wasn't a baseline slugfest, it was a servefest with a few volleys thrown in now and again - the commentator claimed the rally average was less than 2.5 strokes. I enjoyed it a lot more than Capello's shower's three games so far, anyway. Come on you krauts!

 

Yes HCW, a few records were broken:

 

-- It's the longest match in tennis history: 9 hours, 58 minutes. The previous record was 6 hours, 33 minutes.

 

-- Longest set in tennis history: 118 games

 

-- Most games in Wimbledon history: 153 games (previous record was 112)

 

-- Both players broke the ATP record for most aces in a match. Isner had 98, Mahut hit 94. The previous record was 78. Combined, the two had 192 aces, more than double the old record of 84.

 

-- Mahut had just three break points during the entire match.

 

-- The first four sets took 2 hours, 54 minutes. The fifth set set is ongoing at 7 hours, 4 minutes.

 

-- Mahut won 448 points to Isner's 428. Isner had more winners: 333 to 318.

 

-- The final set is longer than the previous longest match in tennis history (6 hours, 33 minutes).

 

-- Isner had four match points, one at 11-10, two others at 33-32 and another at 59-58. The first and last match points came nearly six hours apart.

 

-- At 50-50, Mahut had two break points and Isner promptly served a 134 mph ace.

 

-- With Mahut serving at 52-53, the pair exchanged a 16-shot rally which ended with a Mahut forehand winner. It was the longest really of the match. On the next point, Mahut dove for a backhand at the baseline following another long rally.

 

-- The players took their first bathroom break at 58-58. While walking in the tunnel, they exchanged pleasantries, the first time they had spoken all evening.

 

-- Mahut only qualified for Wimbledon after winning a qualifier match in a 24-22 final set.

 

-- The match is almost two hours longer than the longest Major League Baseball game in history (an 8:06 game between the White Sox and Brewers in 1984).

 

-- The scoreboard stopped working at 47-47.

[Toast 16,140]

bathroom break

 

HTF did this hideous expression creep into Wimbledon?

 

One does not require a bathroom to (let's pick a random British euphemism) 'spend a penny'; merely - as our US friends might say, and no disrespect intended towards Mr Isner - a john. Could we not use a more accurate term? Your suggestions welcome.

[themaninblack 2,112]

I'll take it back then. No wonder it lasted so long if it was all aces and stuff.

 

Mind you, I reckon Djokovic will have an eye on that 'record' in his next match...

[honez 79]

bathroom break

 

HTF did this hideous expression creep into Wimbledon?

 

One does not require a bathroom to (let's pick a random British euphemism) 'spend a penny'; merely - as our US friends might say, and no disrespect intended towards Mr Isner - a john. Could we not use a more accurate term? Your suggestions welcome.

Let's pinch another USism and go for crapshoot.

[One shot Paddy 1,206]

Drain the spuds?

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Am I the only one suspicious of this?

 

Two players who aren't exactly household names grab international headlines in the first round, even the loser probably raising his profile to an earning potential well beyond the second round at Wimbledon. The winner will be so knackered he'll probably bow out in round two, but both of them will be good for lucrative press coverage, sponsorship interest and long term name recognition in places like the Guinness Book of Records. There might be lucrative television rights to the strange story long after the tournament ends. What makes me suspicious is just how far beyond all previous records this has gone. Maybe, it's also a fix to get the rules changed, spare players from this open-ended Wimbledon finish.

[Lard Bazaar 3,799]

bathroom break

 

HTF did this hideous expression creep into Wimbledon?

 

One does not require a bathroom to (let's pick a random British euphemism) 'spend a penny'; merely - as our US friends might say, and no disrespect intended towards Mr Isner - a john. Could we not use a more accurate term? Your suggestions welcome.

Let's pinch another USism and go for crapshoot.

 

 

What's wrong with 'having a piss'?

[CaptainChorizo 1,982]

Am I the only one suspicious of this?

 

Two players who aren't exactly household names grab international headlines in the first round, even the loser probably raising his profile to an earning potential well beyond the second round at Wimbledon. The winner will be so knackered he'll probably bow out in round two, but both of them will be good for lucrative press coverage, sponsorship interest and long term name recognition in places like the Guinness Book of Records. There might be lucrative television rights to the strange story long after the tournament ends. What makes me suspicious is just how far beyond all previous records this has gone. Maybe, it's also a fix to get the rules changed, spare players from this open-ended Wimbledon finish.

 

Isner is a top 20 player who keeps rapidly improving. Even without this weeks match the USTA was a year or two away from shifting the focus off Roddick onto this guy as the Great White Hope for American mens tennis. Over the next 5-6 years he is legitimate threat to win a Grand Slam on Hard Courts. It makes 0 sense in his situation why he would take part in a fix like this. If he doesn't win a Grand Slam but still finishes his career as a guy who spent a lengthy time in the top 10 or top 20 he will only be remembered as the guy who won an 11 hour match. Aside from the short term attention I could see this putting a ton of pressure on him since nothing he does will measure up to this weeks moment unless he wins a Slam.

 

Anyways if anyone knew what kind of media attention and press was in store for a match like this why wouldn't 2 lower ranked journeyman type players do something like this a long time ago.

 

 

And also even after this result I still think 90% of tennis fans still hate hate hate the way the Us Open ends 5th sets with tiebreaks. It's pretty much a joke just like soccer tournaments arbitrarily ending matches with shootouts.

[Ra Ra Rasputin 99]

Rumours and the like abound that Jennifer Capriati has been rushed to a Florida hospital for a "possible" overdose though no exact details have been given regarding the hospitalisation. Apparently recovering well, but it'll be interesting to see 1) which drugs were involved; was it accidental; c) was it a suicide bid.

[Rotten Ali 600]

Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

 

I thought breast cancer was mainly a "woman's problem"....

 

Martina has just been on Radio 5 live - quizzed by Gabby about her health - Martina basically said everything was back to normal and she has now fully recovered.

Well, I guess the doctors are very confident to give her the good news she needs. But then everyone's body is a maze of systems that sometimes go wrong - had it once - could get it again!

[Monoclinic 39]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/9397597.stm Depressed? or just Belgian?

 

There was a piece on the radio earlier about her or could have been an interview with her or in fact just any old woman rattling on in French, seemed to mention doping but I can't be certain if it was the previous accusations or new ones.

[Guest Guest]

Serena Williams has been rushed to hospita;l and is seriously ill with a blood clot on her lung.. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ga...th-treatement/1

[CaptainChorizo 1,982]

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/news?slug=a...tralia-rosewall

 

 

Tennis legend Ken Rosewall,76 was admitted to the stroke ward while attending The Rome Masters tournament.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/news?slug=a...tralia-rosewall

 

 

Tennis legend Ken Rosewall,76 was admitted to the stroke ward while attending The Rome Masters tournament.

If he goes, that will be another big Aussie sporting death and will rival that of Lionel Rose.

[CaptainChorizo 1,982]

Pauline Betz Addie

 

 

 

1946 Wimbledon Winner and 5 time Us Open Champ in the 1940s at 91 has died of Parkinsons Disease

[CaptainChorizo 1,982]

Alisa Kleybanova

 

The 22 year old Russia tennis star who was ranked high as 20 in Febuary who has been off the tour since May posted on the WTA's website she is receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

[time 8,599]

Former world Table-Tennis champ Kjell Johansson has died aged 65, after an undisclosed illness.

 

(Ok, not the usual brand of tennis, but still...)

[VSBfromH 74]

Nell Truman

 

Later Nell Robinson, younger sister of Christine Truman, has died aged 66. Although not as gifted as her sister, she did reach the French Open doubles final in 1971 with Winnie Shaw.

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

After 76 years, a Brit (all right, a Sweaty) Grand Slam champ.

[Rotten Ali 600]

Took his time...

I had the bad luck to watch the game... Bloody twenty past two in the darn morning...

 

Not sure who looked more ill... Sean Connery, Andy Murray or me!

[time 8,599]

I couldn't find the broadcast on any of the BBC channels so listened to the BBC Radio commentary and 'watched' the Guardian's game-by-game text commentary; almost as good as being there!

 

Nearly 5 bloody hours - and I don't even like tennis!

[BadEgg 38]

Well done to British tennis man Andy,we never doubted him South of the Border(cough)

[Paul Bearer 6,102]

I couldn't find the broadcast on any of the BBC channels so listened to the BBC Radio commentary and 'watched' the Guardian's game-by-game text commentary; almost as good as being there!

 

Nearly 5 bloody hours - and I don't even like tennis!

 

You should have streamed it.