Reaction to Isner beating Mahut in longest match

Following is reaction from tennis players after John Isner and Nicolas Mahut contested the longest ever tennis match, which the American won 6-4 3-6 6-7 7-6 70-68 after 11 hours five minutes at Wimbledon.

Published: Fri 25 Jun 2010, 12:42 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 9:04 AM

ISNER:

“Nothing like this will ever happen again - ever.

“The guy (Mahut) is an absolute warrior. I want to share this day with him, it was an absolute honour. I wish him the best and see him somewhere down the road and it won’t go 70-68.

“It stinks someone had to lose.

“Neither one of my pinky toes has any skin on ‘em.

My coach actually, believe it or not, said jokingly before the tournament started that I’ll be able to play 10 hours. That’s the truth. After practising in Tampa in that heat, he was right.”

MAHUT

“We played the greatest match ever at the greatest place to play tennis. Wimbledon is the greatest tournament and we just played the greatest game ever.

“This is just a match I will never forget. I hope the people who watched the match will think the same. At this moment, it’s really painful.”

RAFAEL NADAL (Seven times grand slam champion):

“Was amazing match. Just congratulate both of players because they did something amazing. Be focus around 10 hours, that’s amazing, to not lose the serve in all that time, no? So just congratulate both.

SERENA WILLIAMS (Twelve times grand slam champion):

“It definitely got a lot of eyes on the sport. I know John, so I was really happy that he won. Obviously I was rooting for him. But I was thinking I was glad that it wasn’t me.

“I don’t know how the coach and everyone stayed out there. Must have been really tough.

“This is like a once in a lifetime thing. This is the first time this has happened in hundreds of years. Maybe it will take another couple hundred years to happen again.”

ANDY MURRAY (British number one):

“It’s pretty amazing. Just very difficult to describe. Definitely will never, ever happen again. What they did last night was incredible.

ROGER FEDERER (Holder of a record 16 grand slam titles)

“It’s unfortunate these guys are going to be a little bit tired tomorrow and the next day and the next week and the next month.

“In a way, I wish I was them, in some ways I wish I wasn’t them. I love this. I know they’re maybe not loving this, but this is unheard of in our game.

“Normally there are breaks in tennis matches. It’s so impressive to see. I was watching this... I don’t know if I was crying or laughing. It was too much.

“Both (are) winners, that’s for sure.”

VENUS WILLIAMS (seven-times grand slam champion)

“It’s amazing. Wow. It’s a marathon. It’s longer than a marathon.”

NOVAK DJOKOVIC (2008 Australian Open champion)

“Everybody’s watching it in the locker rooms, everywhere.

“I’m amazed that they can both hold their serves this comfortably for the whole day. It’s unbelievable. You have to give them credit, both of them. Both of them are winners.”

JOHN MCENROE (Seven-times grand slam champion)

“There is no way you can describe something that’s never happened before and will never happen again. This is the greatest ever advertisement we’ve had for the sport.”