Wimbledon: Kevin Anderson first finalist after more than 6 …

South Africa's Kevin Anderson, 8th World Player and 8th seed, qualified for the Wimbledon final by defeating American John Isner (ATP 10 / N. 9) in five sets, Friday, on the turf of the All England Club. The game was unbelievably close: 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (9/11), 6-4 and … 26-24. The match lasted 6 hours and 35 minutes.

South African Kevin Anderson, 8th World Player and 8th seed, qualified for the Wimbledon final by defeating American John Isner (ATP 10 / N.9) in five sets, Friday, on the turf of the All England Club. The game was unbelievably close: 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (9/11), 6-4 and … 26-24. The match lasted 6 hours and 35 minutes.

Anderson, 32, will play his second Grand Slam final after last year's US Open lost to Rafael Nadal. He had never been further than the 8th finals at Wimbledon. The South African has 4 ATP titles to his name, including the New York tournament won this year.

Anderson will face in the final the winner of the clash between Spaniard Rafael Nadal, N.1 World, and Serbian Novak Djokovic (ATP 21), back in the final four of a Grand Slam after two years

This match is the second longest match in tournament history. The second longest match of the tournament so far lasted 6:09 on two days: it was in the quarter-finals of the Men's Doubles in 2006 when Bahamian Mark Knowles and Canadian Daniel Nestor defeated Simon Aspelin of Sweden. and Australia's Todd Perry 23-21 in the fifth set.

The second longest match in the history of the singles tournament so far lasted 5h31. It was in the third round in 2012 when Croatia's Marin Cilic won against American Sam Querrey (17-15 in the fifth set).

As for the longest match in the history of tennis, he had opposed in 2010 … Isner, already him, to the Frenchman Nicolas Mahut: 11h05 play spread over three days, 70-68 in the fifth set.

The spectators of the Wimbledon Center Court realized that the meeting could be tight and long seeing that the first two sets were completed in tie break 7-6 (8/6) and 6-7 (5/7). It was not until 4-3 in the third set to see one of the two players take the service of his opponent: Anderson went to 5-3, but immediately suffered the counterbreak of Isner. And the round was again decided in the deciding game, 6-7 (9/11).

In the fourth inning, Anderson twice took the serve from Isner to pocket run 6-4 and get a fifth set. During this one, the South African missed two break points at 7-7 and 10-10. He still wasted two break points at 17-17. Finally, Anderson took the service of his opponent at 24-24. He then made his first match point.

The second semifinal between Nadal and Djokovic will start in the wake. The roof of the central court allows to extend the parties in the evening, despite the lack of brightness, but not beyond 23:00 local (midnight French time) due to a curfew imposed by the residents of