Longest Tennis Match Ever Ends After 11 Hours

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American tennis player John Isner has beaten Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in the longest tennis match in the history of the sport.

The record-breaking contest lasted for a total of 11 hours and five minutes - a punishing 665 minutes.

The battle concluded after play stretched over three days.

The 6ft 9in Isner won 3 sets to 2, with the last set being won with after a staggering total of 70 games to 68.

The end came as Mahut approached the net and Isner made a passing shot.

Barely believing the match had finished, Isner almost back-flipped on the lawn before standing up and grasping his head between his hands.



Winner John Isner (l) and Nicolas Mahut (r) made history


He trotted slowly forward to acknowledge Mahut's effort and the two players hugged over the net.

With tears in his eyes, a gracious Mahut later congratulated Isner and thanked spectators and the organisers.

Officials have planned on a special presentation for the pair to mark the milestone - and for the chair umpire Mo Layani.

After the match, both players posed for photos next to the monumental scoreboard total displayed on Court 18.

Isner revealed that he woke up on Thursday morning thinking the match was a dream.

"I really thought it was a dream, I didn't think that type of match was possible so I was really expecting to wake up, in all seriousness," Isner said.

Asked by reporters if the match was better than a dream, Isner said: "I think it really is better than a dream because you can't even dream of something like this.

"You can dream of winning a match 22-20, maybe 34-32, but not 70-68."
 
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