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Kevin Anderson of South Africa (Photo AP / Glyn Kirk, Pool)
LONDON – To say that Kevin Anderson won this endless semifinal of Wimbledon, and that John Isner lost it, did not really seem fair. For Anderson, anyway.
They played again and again, through six and a half hours of play after a grip, during the second longest match in the history of a tournament that began in 1877, all the run up to the never-ending service marathon finally ended at 26-24 in the fifth set Friday, with Anderson claiming the most important of the 569 points – the latter.
So when Anderson left the Court Center, well aware that his 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-4, 26-24 victory earned him the chance to win his first Grand Slam title at the age of 32. : "In the end, you feel like it's a draw between us two."
He continued: "John is a great guy, and I really feel it for him, because if I had been on the opposite side"
Only one match at Wimbledon lasted longer: the win of Isner in the first round 2010 against Nicolas Mahut, the longest match in the history of tennis.It lasted more than 11 hours over three days and finished 70-68 in fifth place of the Court 18, which now carries a commemorative plaque.
Friday's competition lasted so long that the second semifinal of the day did not end
Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after losing a point in his men's semifinal against Serbia's Novak Djokovic, during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, London, Friday, July 13, 2018. (Photo AP / Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Novak Djokovic led Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9) in a compelling showdown of entertaining points that was suspended as soon as the third set concluded at 23h just after, the curfew at the All England Club. Some people in the stands hailed the decision to stop the match after a fantastic tiebreak in which Nadal lost three set points to 6-5, 7-6, and 8-7. Djokovic conceded his second goal when Nadal's backhand found the bottom after an exchange of 18 shots.
Because Nadal and Djokovic only started playing after 20 hours, the retractable roof over the main stadium was closed between matches and the artificial arena lights were lit. . Now, they will come back Saturday to know who will face Anderson in the final, resuming at 1 pm. Local time, under the roof
The women's final between Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber will follow. This creates an unusual situation: instead of a 14-hour standard In the beginning, Williams and Kerber will not know exactly when their match will start.
Anderson will certainly appreciate the opportunity to put his feet in front of Sunday's final, while Nadal and Djokovic – who have combined 29 Grand Slam titles between them, five at Wimbledon – will push themselves even further.
The fifth set of Anderson lasted nearly three hours while his semifinal was becoming an endurance test more than skill
"He's incredibly successful". 9-year-old Isner, a 33-year-old American who plays his first major semifinal. "Just disappointed to lose, I was close enough to make a grand slam final and that did not happen."
Anderson finally earned the mandatory service break, with l & # 39; help from a point where the right-hander fell on his back. "
" That makes me really smile, "said Anderson, Nadal's second at the US Open last year "At this point, you're just trying to fight every moment, and I thought, 'Get up!'"
The No. 8 seed Anderson eliminated Roger Federer, eight-time Wimbledon champion 11 fifth set in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. Between that and the energy map against Isner, it's hard to imagine how Anderson will have much left for his second Slam final.
Wimbledon does not use tie breaking in the fifth set for men, or third set for women, so there is nothing to prevent a match from continuing to the infinite. Both Isner and Anderson said that they would like to see this change.
At one point in the fifth set, a spectator shouted, "Come on, guys! We want to see Rafa! "
The 6-foot-8 Anderson and the Isner 6-10 go back to their college years, Isner to Georgia, Anderson to Illinois." In the pros, Isner had won eight of the previous 11 games But this one was as close as possible.
There were not many intrigues or changes of momentum. The portion, however, was something else. Isner beat his up to 142 mph, Anderson reached 136 mph, they combined for 102 ace: 53 by Isner, 49 by Anderson.
"The effort they both put in and the performance and guts, the way they competed – a lot to be proud of, "said Justin Gimelstob, one of Isner's coaches.
Both failed to seize the first chances. Isner lost a fixed point in the opening. "Anderson served for the third at 5-3, was broken, and then had a pair of set points in this tiebreaker. , in double fault one.
By these last stages, with chances of breakage so rare, the murmurs would spread Short Center stands every time the turner of a game arrives at the love- 15 or love-30.
Could we be about to see the sixth and final break of a match that would result in 90 takes? , of course, "No", even when Anderson held breaking points at 7-all, 10-all and 17-all. The 10-all match ended with Isner hitting a forehand winning shot for the run to hold, then let his momentum carry him straight to his side chair, where he collapsed.
In the end, he seemed exhausted, leaning "I feel pretty terrible," said Isner afterwards. "My left heel kills me and I have a horrible light bulb on my right foot."
He never had a breaking point in the fifth set. Anderson finally scored his sixth with a 25-24 lead, when Isner dropped a backhand in the net.
Then Anderson served the win, with Isner sailing a wide forehand on the match point.
Soon, they met for a hug. ( The Associated Press )
Keywords: Central Court, John Isner, Kevin Anderson, Nadal and Djokovic
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