The Long Day Closes

Lots of good tennis links around during the U.S. Open. Here's a window into last year's record-setting Wimbledon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. Isner just won his first round U.S. Open match in 4 sets against Marcos Baghdatis. (Ed Caesar/Kottke)

Certainly, in the immediate aftermath of the game, he suffered what amounted to a breakdown. With the adrenaline pouring out of his body, and lactic acid flooding his muscles, he was forced to endure a special ceremony on court, in which the two players were awarded champagne flutes in honour of their record-breaking match, and pose in front of the scoreboard. He returned to the locker room at the earliest opportunity. His coach had to carry him the last few yards. Once inside, Mahut not only wept inconsolably, but found it hard to stand or breathe. The doctor was called. Meanwhile, Mahut was unable to remember anything about the final game or its aftermath. He kept asking the same question: “did I lose the match, or did he win it?” Vallejo eventually had to carry Mahut into the shower, in his clothes.