Wimbledon 2010: Marathon Men Nicolas Mahut and John Isner Battle in Epic

If the likes of Venus or Serena Williams have their way, then the amount of time spent on court throughout their entire Wimbledon campaign and hopeful triumph will not even come close to today’s record breaking fixture.

Nicolas Mahut, a former top 50 player, and the 23rd seeded John Isner took their match into a second day after bad light forced them off court late last night.

They started the fifth set both looking for a break of serve to take the match. Yet no one, including them, could have predicted the momentous occasion that was to come into fruition.  

Only when the fifth set was well into double figures did a break point come. Isner missed these opportunities with match points at 33-32. Mahut saved them with a volley and following serve that made you feel that he was completely oblivious to the situation.

Although we have to remember that Mahut had found himself in a similar position in qualifying for the tournament. He had to come through 24-22 against British hopeful Alex Bogdanovic in the second round of qualifying, so he was used to such situations.

The French player himself then had two break points at 50-50, but some truly stunning shots from Isner brought the game back to serve.

Many records were subsequently broken by today's titanic result. And it is not over yet, as the match was again brought to a halt after a combined total of ten hours of play was reached.

The score was tied at 59 games all as the match heads into day three. The last point of the day featured an ace from Mahut which saved a match point.

The highest number of games played in a tennis match was eclipsed, with 163 games completed so far.

When the game reached six hours and 34 minutes, their tussle also became the longest ever match in tennis history. They overtook a French Open tie in 2004 which saw Fabrice Santoro and Arnold Clement take a fifth set into a 16-14 scoreline.

The stopclock was finally halted at a mammoth ten hours exactly. This match went three hours longer than any two competitors on a tennis court had ever gone.

Inevitably, that meant that today’s game also became the longest in Wimbledon’s history and one that is unlikely to be matched anytime in the near future.

Another accolade falling by the wayside was the duration for a single set. Seven hours will be added in tomorrow's hopeful finale of the fixture.

Ace records were rewritten. Both players surpassed the previous ace tally set by Ivo Karlovic. His total of 78 has now been replaced by Isner, who amassed 97 service triumphs. Both players reached the dizzy heights of over 170 aces.

How the players managed to trade service games time after time without losing composure or their edge was unbelievable. Both players portrayed a staunch defiance that should inspire a world of sports fanatics into never giving up. Their stamina as well as their determination must also be commended.

They may just become responsible for the continued performance of every team and every individual who considers throwing in the white towel when the chips are down.

Soon people will be heard saying, "If Isner can do it, then so can I!"

Such was their desire to win a first round tie at the most prestigious of Grand Slam events.

In retrospect they will have been thankful for a break in play. The events that were to unfold would have left both with severe cramps and fears of collapse if it had been played in one go.  

Arms would have literally fallen off, and harmful long term injuries could have been sustained.

At one point I looked towards the Wimbledon score board and pondered the idea of what would happen if the players went into triple figures of fifth set game wins. Would they have to use some gaffa tape to attach a third digit onto the first two?

At the closure of his second round match, Novak Djokovic put forward the idea that if both players got to 50 all, then an emergency tie break should be agreed upon. This may not have been a bad idea given the circumstances.

In response to the result, I may just have to alter my choice for unbeatable sporting record. Up until now, it was represented by the seven drivers titles won by Michael Schumacher behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.

That now looks like an easy accomplishment when compared to the scenes witnessed on the courts of SW19. Each and every record set today will take something truly special to overcome.

It is surely going to take a miracle to make lightning strike twice in our generation.
The loser of the match will have it forever forged into their memory and into the history books.

Yet they can take consolation in the idea that they will become known as a moral victor. They will be considered an asset to the sport.

What will be an intriguing spectacle is the comparative performance by the victor in round two. If they are made to play less than 24 hours after this marathon. then how will they fare?

Or will they be allowed to rest for an extra day before building up to the second round?

You have to feel that without such a break, they would be a sitting duck for their subsequent competitor. An easy exit as a result is not what karma would have ordered for a player who moved mountains to progress.