John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, who were locked in battle for 11 hours in the Wimbledon first-round last year, will face each other again this year after yesterday’s draw threw up an extraordinary re-match.
The pair, who slogged out a freakish match that spanned three days on court 18 at the All England Club with Isner eventually triumphing 70-68 in the final set, will meet at the same stage this year when Wimbledon starts on Monday.
The longest ever tennis match last year captured the imagination of the sporting world and left the players physically shattered, with Mahut also bearing the mental scars as he battled depression for three months afterwards.
Before the draw, Mahut had begged organizers not to schedule any of his matches on court 18, but little could he have known that there was an even more dramatic twist of fate in store.
The Frenchman told reporters this month that he felt “huge sadness to lose a match that I’ll never get a chance to play again.”
While fans might be hoping for a repeat of what was dubbed the “endless match,” the players will settle for something much simpler when they find themselves once again stealing the spotlight from some of the bigger names in the first round.
World No. 1 Rafa Nadal opens the defense of his title against American Michael Russell and the Spaniard has been drawn in the opposite half as six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.
Federer, the third seed, starts his campaign against Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin, while second seed Novak Djokovic will take on France’s Jeremy Chardy.
Home favorite Andy Murray, the fourth seed who warmed up for the tournament with victory at the Queen’s Club grass-court event, meets Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain.
American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher is to join 15-a-side club Bristol next month in a bid to play in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the US to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and is the seven-a-side sport’s most popular player on social media. “This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said. “She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will
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HISTORIC VICTORY: Botafogo are the last of the four big Rio clubs to win the Copa Libertadores and they earned a spot in next year’s FIFA Club World Cup Botafogo on Saturday overcame playing with 10 men to win their first Copa Libertadores title after beating fellow Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro 3-1 in the final at Estadio Monumental. After just 30 seconds, midfielder Gregore, one of Botafogo’s best players, hit the head of Fausto Vera with his foot and was given a straight red card. “It was so hard to have one less so early in a final. It was an unfortunate move,” Botafogo defender Alexander Barboza said. “But Gregore deserves this title as much as we do. We made history and that won’t ever be erased.” Winger Luiz
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