Longest singles match of my life today

johnny ballgame · 04-20-2008, 05:28 PM

First round kswiss playoffs, match time 3 hours and 55 minutes (including the 10 minute warmup and 5 minute break before the 3rd set). Started at 3:30 and got in my car at 7:35 (after some gatorade).

Lost 6-7, 7-5, 6-7. If there is such a thing as a fun loss, this was it. Poor man's version of Sampras v Agassi (a very poor man's). This guy had a canon serve, and returning/baseline game is my strength. He would bomb aces and service winners, I would blast second serve returns and grind. Even got a good handle on his first serve after awhile.

Came back from 1-4 in the second to win the set, fell behind 2-4 in the third and pushed it to a breaker. My opponent fell to the ground after match point and admitted he had been cramping for the past 5 minutes. He barely hobbled off the court... how come I didn't notice him cramping?!? Doh!

Anybody else with a story of an epic 3-4 hour match?

randomname · 04-20-2008, 06:16 PM

my best one is about 3 hours and 20 minutes, 4-6 7-5 7-6. I was down 3-5 0-40 in the third set too

Fedace · 04-20-2008, 06:18 PM

What level USTA are you ?? Also i would highly recommend the Gatorade Endurance Formula in such long matches. It works much better than regular version.

johnny ballgame · 04-20-2008, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fedace

What level USTA are you ?? Also i would highly recommend the Gatorade Endurance Formula in such long matches. It works much better than regular version.

I don't play USTA, but I've played several people who do... a few wins over 4.5's and many over 4.0's (and some losses to both, though not many to 4.0's).

Thanks for the tip, I'll look for it.

Fedace · 04-20-2008, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny ballgame

I don't play USTA, but I've played several people who do... a few wins over 4.5's and many over 4.0's (and some losses to both, though not many to 4.0's).

Thanks for the tip, I'll look for it.

Then you are pretty close to 4.5, probably 4.5. and when you drink the Endurance formula, you will feel the difference almost right away. the difference between that and the regular gatorade is amazing.

goober · 04-20-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny ballgame

Anybody else with a story of an epic 3-4 hour match?

I had one that was 4 hours 10 minutes for a USTA match. That included the warmups and breaks. It went 3 sets with two tiebreakers and I think the other set a score was like 7-5. The USTA official kept checking on us because we were the only match still going and he couldn't believe we were still on the court. All of this mind you was after playing an earlier match which I won in straight sets but took about 90 minutes.

baseline08thrasher · 04-20-2008, 07:58 PM

I love fun losses.
Passion is my game.
I SO WANT TO GO PRO!
just believe.
Cuz if you believe anything can happen.

Topaz · 04-21-2008, 02:52 AM

The longest singles matches I've ever played was 2 and a half hours...and that was plenty long enough. Regardless of outcome, it sounds like you at least got the chance to play some great tennis!

westside · 04-21-2008, 02:59 AM

wow...my longest match was just over 2 hours.

Couldn't imagine how tired you would be after a 4 hour match

duketennisgal · 04-21-2008, 03:14 AM

I've had a couple of 3 1/2 hour matches. One was when I was still playing junior tournaments. I think I was 16 years old and I was playing on probably the hottest day of the year. It was awful, if I recall correctly the temp was 98 or 99 degrees, we were playing on a hard court so you can imagine how hot it was on the court itself. I won 6-4 in the third but I paid for it dearly that evening. I had such severe cramps the entire evening that I could barely walk the next morning, I wasn't even able to go to school that day.

My second one was a month or so ago, I won 7-6, 4-6, 6-4. I was down several set points in the first set, including being down 5-6, 40-love, but I was able to pull it out. The second set was actually the longest set, every game seemed to have several dueces and I just couldn't pull it out. Then in the third I got out to a 4-1 lead really quickly and of course instead of finishing it out I let her get back into it. Thankfully I pulled it out in the end.

Both of those matches were on hard courts, both were tons of fun but I could live without having to play those kind of matches.

johnny ballgame · 04-21-2008, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goober

All of this mind you was after playing an earlier match which I won in straight sets but took about 90 minutes.

Ouch... I can't imagine!

johnny ballgame · 04-21-2008, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topaz

Regardless of outcome, it sounds like you at least got the chance to play some great tennis!

Indeed it was fun! I wish I could have a shot at him on clay though...

smoothtennis · 04-21-2008, 06:46 AM

Great match there Johnny!

Last year, I played a 3 hour, 15 minutes match, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 - my first match of the tourney - and I was exhausted - all baseline rallies. Next match 3 hours later - I cramped up everywhere - had to default. Dang.

After that experience, I can appreciate what you just pulled off. What a match.

evw · 04-21-2008, 07:57 AM

sounds like a great match.

My longest included the most games possible in a three set tiebreak match.

6-7, 7-6, 6-7 (10-12) over 3.5 hours. went surfing for a couple hours after to relax.

it was a great day even though I lost.

zebano · 04-21-2008, 10:39 AM

I'm not 100% certain on how long it took but my longest was over 3 hours. It was our second match of the day and I ended up winning when my opponent withdrew due to cramps which had been paining him; little did he know that the reason I didn't sit down between games was to keep trying to loosen my own cramping legs. 95 degrees in late July.

7-5; 4-6; 4-2

It didn't help that I had just discovered that consistency > power and so I was (pushing) just waiting for him to make mistakes. The guy didn't look very impressive but he has the fastest ground strokes of any 3.5 I've ever played. I break a sweat just thinking about that match.

skandy · 04-21-2008, 11:50 AM

I won ~4 hour match last summer 6:7, 7:6, 7:6 (11:9). Wasted 8 match points (and 5 set points in the first set that I lost), saved one match point. Both of us had problems converting game points, so there were multiple deuce points in the majority of the games. We ran out of water in the middle of the third set

I was so happy to win this one! Had I lost it, I'd be so mad at myself...

dgrave2 · 04-21-2008, 12:38 PM

a little over 3 hours... i lost 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5. Very dramatic match with lots of ups and downs... i was throwing my racquet around from the dumb errors i was making... went down 0-3 in the 3rd set to rally back to 3-3 and blew it from there. Now that i look back on it, it was a great match... I just wish I never threw my racquet cause i looked like an idiot.

TennisProdigy · 04-21-2008, 01:55 PM

Longest match 2.5 hours including warm up i lost 6-3 6-7 (7) 12-14 in the 10 point super tie break.

04-20-2008, 05:28 PM	#1
johnny ballgame Professional Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,217	Longest singles match of my life today First round kswiss playoffs, match time 3 hours and 55 minutes (including the 10 minute warmup and 5 minute break before the 3rd set). Started at 3:30 and got in my car at 7:35 (after some gatorade). Lost 6-7, 7-5, 6-7. If there is such a thing as a fun loss, this was it. Poor man's version of Sampras v Agassi (a very poor man's). This guy had a canon serve, and returning/baseline game is my strength. He would bomb aces and service winners, I would blast second serve returns and grind. Even got a good handle on his first serve after awhile. Came back from 1-4 in the second to win the set, fell behind 2-4 in the third and pushed it to a breaker. My opponent fell to the ground after match point and admitted he had been cramping for the past 5 minutes. He barely hobbled off the court... how come I didn't notice him cramping?!? Doh! Anybody else with a story of an epic 3-4 hour match?

04-21-2008, 02:52 AM	#8
Topaz Legend Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6,653	The longest singles matches I've ever played was 2 and a half hours...and that was plenty long enough. Regardless of outcome, it sounds like you at least got the chance to play some great tennis! __________________ What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

04-21-2008, 02:59 AM	#9
westside Hall Of Fame Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 3,573	wow...my longest match was just over 2 hours. Couldn't imagine how tired you would be after a 4 hour match __________________ Yonex Vcore 97.

04-21-2008, 06:46 AM	#13
smoothtennis Hall Of Fame Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 1,552	Great match there Johnny! Last year, I played a 3 hour, 15 minutes match, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 - my first match of the tourney - and I was exhausted - all baseline rallies. Next match 3 hours later - I cramped up everywhere - had to default. Dang. After that experience, I can appreciate what you just pulled off. What a match. __________________ Babolat Aeropro weighted to 12.5oz - Prosupex Big Ace 51lbs.

04-21-2008, 07:57 AM	#14
evw Rookie Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 192	a good match is hard to find sounds like a great match. My longest included the most games possible in a three set tiebreak match. 6-7, 7-6, 6-7 (10-12) over 3.5 hours. went surfing for a couple hours after to relax. it was a great day even though I lost.