Miserable Mahut forced to grin and bear it

Finally it came came to a conclusion at teatime on Thursday when with one last backhand John Isner won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68. It will not come as a shock to anyone to learn that the match is the longest ever played. Heck - the last set was longer than the previous LME (longest match ever). When Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement spent six hours and 33 minutes settling their differences at the French Open in 2004, we all gasped. But that was no more than a jog in the park compared to Isner and Nicolas Mahut. They took eight hours and 11 minutes just to complete the fifth set.

When they were called off court as darkness fell on Wednesday night, word was spreading like wildfire. This was a moment of history and everyone wanted to be a part of it. England had qualified from the group stages of the World Cup that afternoon but it was not the main topic of conversation - what was occupying the minds of the Wimbledon faithful was how they were going to get a seat on Court 18 on Thursday.

One American journalist had left the match on Wednesday in order to go up to Wimbledon Village to watch the football in the pub. When he came back, he could not believe that the two were still going strong. He still could not believe it when they took another 65 minutes and 20 games to settle matters on Thursday.

Trying to get anywhere near the court was almost impossible. Every seat was taken and every vantage point was packed. The roof of the Broadcast Centre which overlooks the court, was heaving with TV folk and more than a few souls who did not seem to have any connection to the media at all. The walkways round about were packed tight with anxious faces trying to get a glimpse of history in the making and the security guards were doing their best to repel the masses but it was King Canute trying to tell the tide to go back - utterly hopeless.

Up in the BBC commentary box, Ronald McIntosh was doing his first stint behind the SW19 microphones. The bosses had thought that would "ease him in" with a "minor match" on a smallish show court. It was his first gig in Wimbledon but by the end of the three days, he was already a veteran tennis broadcaster and was coming up for his long service medal.

But it was a strange place to be, out on court 18. The crowd obviously wanted someone to win - this week, preferably - but they really did not want anyone to lose. And by the look of Isner, who had looked absolutely whacked for the last five hours of the match, he would have to be put on suicide watch if the result did not go his way.

When it did finally end, it was Mahut who looked inconsolable. He hid his head in a towel for what seemed like an eternity as the applause echoed around the stands. He had given his all and after three days he had come second. He could hardly bear it. Isner stood and applauded him and encouraged the crowd to cheer the beaten Frenchman. It did not work - Mahut was going to take a lot of cheering up.

The All England Club, bless them, had organised a little presentation ceremony. This historic moment should not go unmarked and so, wheeling out Tim Henman and Ann Jones, they gave a pile of prezzies to both players and to the umpire, Mohamed Lahyani (it was a crystal bowl and some champagne flutes, in case you were wondering).

Poor Mahut, he looked as if he wanted to be anywhere on earth but out there on Court 18. Still, he took it well and as the crowd gave him the loudest cheer of all, he finally spoke. "At this moment, it's really painful," he said. "But it was amazing to play these three days. We played the greatest tennis match ever at the greatest place to play tennis."

"It stinks that someone has to lose," Isner said. "To share this day with him is a real honour. I can only wish him the very best and that hope that we'll meet down the road sometime. But hopefully it won't go to 70-68."

That was when the man from the Beeb reminded Isner that he was due on court for doubles on half an hour. "That's kind of a mean joke, right there," Isner said. "We'll go back to the locker room and we'll see what happens." By the sounds of it, his partner, Sam Querrey, might be somewhat underemployed in the doubles this week.

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/art … 39521.html

Mahut Receives Newport Wild Card

In addition, the record-shattering Frenchman will personally deliver memorabilia from the longest match in tennis history to be displayed in the Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Nicolas Mahut, who competed in the record-breaking longest match in tennis history at Wimbledon last week, has received a wild card to compete in the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event, to be held July 5 - 11 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.

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This will be Mahut's fifth appearance in Newport, where he was a finalist in 2007. While in Newport, Mahut will present the Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame with memorabilia from the monumental match between himself and John Isner, which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes and spanned 183 games, shattering all previous records for the longest matches in history. The memorabilia will be displayed in the Grand Slam gallery at the Museum, beginning during the tournament week.

"Grass court tennis is a personal favorite of mine and I have always enjoyed my experiences competing in Newport. It is a fantastic tournament in a remarkable venue with great fans. I look forward to returning again this summer, and I am grateful to the tournament committee at Newport for allowing me the opportunity to compete," said Mahut. "Also, the Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame is an incredible landmark for tennis. I am humbled and honored to have a piece of history from my career on display alongside memorabilia from the game's greatest stars."

Last week at Wimbledon, Mahut and Isner commenced in what appeared to be an ordinary first round match on Tuesday. "The Match," as it has come to be known around the All England Lawn Tennis Club, went on to be anything but ordinary, with the two players' strong serves and intense performance resulting in a three-day match that captivated fans around the world. In addition to breaking all records for duration of play, the match brought both Mahut and Isner to the top of the record books for the most aces served by a player in any one match, with Isner firing 113 and Mahut serving 103. After three days of play, Isner won the match with an unbelievable final score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68.

"Nicolas is an excellent grass court player and he will certainly add to the competition among our field this year. We are delighted that he will return to Newport," said Mark L. Stenning, CEO and tournament director for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. "In addition, Nicolas' epic match at Wimbledon is a remarkable record in tennis and we are very happy that he has chosen to share memorabilia from the match with tennis fans from around the world by displaying it in the Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame."

Mahut is currently ranked No. 148 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings. In February 2008, he reached a career-high No. 40. Earlier this year, he won the ATP Challenger event in Cherbourg, France. Grass court play has always proven to be a strong suit for Mahut, who has a 24-19 career record on the surface. He led the ATP World Tour in match wins on grass courts in 2006 (10-3) and won the Wimbledon junior title in 2000. Mahut has been a finalist in grass court tournaments two times - Newport and Queen's Club, both in 2007. In addition, he has three ATP World Tour doubles victories to his name (Lyon - 2009 and Metz - 2004, 2003) and has been a finalist three additional times. 

The Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships is an ATP World Tour event drawing 32 top male players to Newport direct from Wimbledon to compete for the Van Alen Cup and $442,500 in prize money. The player field will be a competitive one this year as it features top-100 players in the top eight seeds and four of the top-10 Americans on the ATP World Tour. Players scheduled to compete in Newport include No. 3 American Sam Querrey, No. 6 American Mardy Fish, defending champion and No. 7 American Rajeev Ram and 2002 champion and No. 8 American Taylor Dent.

Memorabilia from the Mahut - Isner match will be a fitting and exciting addition to the Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The Museum chronicles the history of tennis from its 14th century origins to present day through an extensive collection of memorabilia, equipment, video, photography, art, fashion and more. The Museum's collection ranges from the original patent for the game, which was issued by Queen Victoria in 1874 to Grand Slam trophies donated by Hall of Famers like Rod Laver and Monica Seles to contemporary pieces, such as the much talked about outfit that Venus Williams wore just a month ago at the 2010 French Open. The Museum is open to the public daily, year-round.

Tickets for the tournament are now available for purchase online through www.tennisfame.com or by calling the Tournament Office at 401-849-6053 or 866-914-FAME (3263).

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … -Card.aspx

Q&A with Nicolas Mahut

Even though he lost the longest match in tennis history, Nicolas Mahut came out a winner.

Mahut, 28, made an array of public appearances in his native France, was offered a free holiday to the idyllic island of Mauritius and landed a wild card to this week's Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I. In short, he has gone from relative unknown to nearly household name.

ESPN.com caught up with Mahut by phone two weeks after his 11-hour, five-minute encounter at Wimbledon with American John Isner.

Mahut beat Alejandro Falla in the first round in Newport on Tuesday before falling to Frank Dancevic on Wednesday.

ESPN.com: How manic was it between Wimbledon and Newport?

Nicolas Mahut: It was really amazing. I did three days of nonstop media, press conferences, TV shows and photo shoots. Then I stopped and practiced a little bit.

ESPN.com: How surprised were you about all the attention?

Mahut: It was much more than I expected. Everyone wanted me to talk about the match and what I felt on the court. Again, it was really amazing. I don't know what John did in the U.S., but in France it was pretty big.

ESPN.com: How much have you absorbed what's happened? Is it like a dream?

Mahut: Little by little I'm beginning to realize John and I made history with our match. It wasn't only the length, but also the quality, competitiveness and sportsmanship. I think people liked the match. When the Hall of Fame asked if I could donate some items, and also the Wimbledon Museum … I understand we entered tennis history.

ESPN.com: How long did it take to get over the disappointment of not winning?

Mahut: It was complicated. I was truly sad to lose. If I could play like that for such a long time and play well, it was because I wanted to win at all costs. At one point in the match, I felt indestructible. When I lost, it was obviously cruel.

ESPN.com: Both of you were honored on court after the match. How hard was it to remain on court, given that you probably wanted to make a quick exit?

Mahut: I don't remember the ceremony too well. I remembered it through watching it on television. I don't remember if I congratulated John, I don't remember who was on the court. It was very hard. At the same time, I knew I had to do it, had to congratulate John for what he showed over the three days. But it was as if I was elsewhere.

ESPN.com: What was it like for you in the locker room immediately afterward?

Mahut: I cried a lot, but again, I had very little memories of what happened there. My coach was with me, the physio was with me. I was there for one hour. They helped me take a shower. After an hour, I was a little better.

ESPN.com: How long did it take to recover physically?

Mahut: I didn't really feel tired. It was incredible. My body was really weird. It's only now that I've started to feel it. Mostly since the match, I slept between four and six hours, maximum. Since [Tuesday], I started to sleep for eight hours. Now I've started to feel very tired.

ESPN.com: So, only now is it really hitting you?

Mahut: Yes. I'll try to give it everything in Newport, but I know it will be difficult.

ESPN.com: Despite the fatigue, how excited were you to get back on court in Newport?

Mahut: You know, I played the most incredible match of my career against an extraordinary champion in John. But in the end, I had the same ranking because I lost in the first round -- still 140th in the world. My goal is to get back into the top 100, then the top 50. I have no choice but to start to try to win matches. After the tournament, I'm taking two weeks' holiday.

ESPN.com: Where are you going? Anywhere exotic?

Mahut: I think I'll see my dad and friends. I'll spend a week with friends in the Auvergne (central France). There's a big house near a lake. I'll do some water skiing, play golf and just rest.

ESPN.com: What's the biggest compliment you have received?

Mahut: There are a lot of things. It's incredible. In the U.S., every two minutes someone comes up to me and says, "I've never seen anything like that in my life." Also, the minister of sport [in France] congratulated me. Two things have touched me the most. Parents tell me I'm an example for their kids. That touches me enormously. And also the messages I've gotten from Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Mats Wilander, saying I was an example for the sport. Coming from legends like that, it means a lot.

ESPN.com: When you step on court now, how is it different?

Mahut: Now I have my duty to kids. When I get on court, I'm obligated to have a positive attitude and give everything of myself. In some ways it is a duty. But I'm sure it will help me in my career.

Ravi Ubha is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis … id=5363967

Nicolas Mahut: Oto jak zmieniło się moje życie po Wimbledonie

Apartament w jednym z najlepszych hoteli na Manhattanie i okazywane mu na ulicy uznanie ze strony Amerykanów - Nicolas Mahut przegrał z Johnem Isnerem historyczny mecz w I rundzie Wimbledonu (68:70 w piątym secie), ale zdobył serca kibiców w Stanach Zjednoczonych.
- Gdyby nie tamten mecz, prawdopodobnie i tak bym przyleciał do Nowego Jorku, ale spałbym w małym pokoju w hotelu dla zawodników - mówi Mahut, którego marzeniem jest przejście eliminacji US Open (jest w decydującej rundzie), a w dalszej perspektywie powrót do czołowej setki rankingu (dziś jest 161.). Na Flushing Meadows nie musi okazywać przy wejściu identyfikatora, bo wszyscy już wiedzą kim jest.

Jak twierdzi, przez dwa ostatnie miesiące miał więcej konferencji prasowych niż przez całą dotychczasową karierę (a ma 28 lat), ale dzięki temu mógł potrenować swój angielski. Mecz z Isnerem wpisał go do ksiąg tenisa i chyba już "zawsze" będzie się Francuza pamiętać z jednej przyczyny. - Będę pamiętał te chwile przez całe życie, tak jak pamięta się dzień finału mistrzostw świata w 1998 roku - przyznaje.

Mahut uważa, że jego problemem jest brak wiary we własne możliwości. - Czy też w ogóle brak wiary w siebie - tłumaczy. - Nie potrafię zagrać najlepiej jak potrafię w meczach z zawodnikami teoretycznie silniejszymi. My będziemy pamiętali Nicolasa z jeszcze jednej przyczyny: podczas challengera we Wrocławiu w 2008 roku pokonał go Janowicz, który wtedy debiutował w turnieju tej rangi.

http://www.sportowefakty.pl/tenis/2010/ … mbledonie/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwmn9hwG … re=related

Trochę rewanżu za Wimbledon też się wkradło.