Yes, it boasts all the usual suspects: Roger Federer, Raphael Nadal and the Williams sisters, but it is not so much the stars capturing eyes all over the world this time around. Unless, of course, you’re talking about spectators and not players as on Thursday, the Queen made her first appearance at the All England Club in 33 years time.
But the story making headlines around the world — and rightfully so — is the epic match that played (and played, and played) out between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.
"Tennis has never seen a match like this," writes the Sydney Morning Herald.
The New York Times Blog pens, "a match that defies all logic."
Truly, it is. This match has proved unbelievable in the true definition of the word. "So remarkable as to strain credulity; extraordinary."
In the 11th hour, Isner walked away the winner, 70-68 in the fifth set. If you were counting, or maybe more aptly put, losing count, it was 11 hours and five minutes of total match time.
Eleven hours and five minutes — can you imagine? Typically, any match extending beyond four hours is considered long. If the mental stamina of players is discussed then, then what can be said of the staying power of Isner and Mahut after more than 11 hours of play spanning three days time? Hardly enough.
Both players tallied more than 100 aces. They played a total of 183 games. Mahut served 65 times to stay in the match — yes, to stay in the match. Each of those statistics renders us incredulous in its own right. The statistics, like the tennis played, are staggering.
On court after the match, Mahut called it, "the greatest match ever played in the greatest place."
Isner credited the man he defeated, saying he is, "an absolute warrior … to share the day an absolute honor."
From my seat (or seats I should say, since I watched in various places given the match’s three-day span), I would borrow Isner’s words to describe watching. It was nothing short of an absolute honor. To see both Isner and Mahut put forth the effort and skill, and do so with such respect for each other and the game, was an experience in and of itself.
