Longest games

krosero · 05-06-2011, 04:50 PM

What are the longest games you know of?

These are some to start off with, just some I've made a note of. I'm sure there are longer games.

I'm listing the server's name first and whether or not they held serve, followed by some details of what the server did, and the opponent's name.

15 deuces, 1987 RG, Lendl is broken at 5-3 in third set, loses 9 set points, saves 6 break points, opponent was Nystrom

13 deuces, 1995 Wimbledon final, Sanchez Vicario is broken at 5-all in third, saves 5 break points vs. Graf

11 deuces, 1980 Chicago final, Evert is broken at 4-5 in the first set, saves 6 set points vs. Navratilova

11 deuces, 1996 AO SF, Agassi holds in second set vs. Chang

10 deuces, 1980 Wimbledon SF, Connors holds at 4-2 in second set vs. McEnroe

10 deuces, 1981 Toyota Championships, round robin, Austin holds at 3-all in the first set vs. Evert

10 deuces, 1985 USO SF, Evert is broken at 2-3 in the third vs. Mandlikova

10 deuces, 1987 AO final, Cash holds in second set, saves 5 set points vs. Edberg

10 deuces, 2005 AO, R128, Santoro broken in first game of second set vs. Federer

10 deuces, 2007 WTA Championships final, Henin is broken at 5-6 in the first set, saves 7 set points vs. Sharapova

pc1 · 05-06-2011, 05:04 PM

I recall Borg against Vijay Amritraj in the 1974 US Open had a really long game in that match at 4-2 for Vijay in the fifth.

I think Borg and Laver had a really long game (from reading about it) in their match in the 1975 WCT Championship.

It's not something I keep track of but I'll try to think of some.

Edit-I tried to find some newspaper accounts of the Borg/Laver WCT match but the only thing I could find was that it was a 4 hour and 5 minute match. I would guess there were some long games. I thought I read something about them playing a twenty point game or so. Could be wrong.

Moose Malloy · 05-06-2011, 05:23 PM

16 deuces, Krishnan broken at 0-2 in 2nd set vs Edberg at '87 USO
11 deuces, Coria broken at 3-5 in the 3rd set vs Nadal at '05 Rome Masters
10 deuces, Blake held at 1-1 in 2nd set vs Fed at '03 USO
10 deuces, Wilander held at 3-2 in the 3rd set vs Edberg at the '87 USO

this link says that Berasategu had a 28 deuce game vs Fillippini at 1996 Casablanca

Quote:

Alberto Berasategui and Marcelo Filippini recently played what was believed to be the longest single game in ATP Tour history. Filippini was serving at 1-1 in the second set when the game lasted 20 minutes and included 28 deuces. Berasategui took advantage on his 14th break point to break serve and go on to win the match.

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-04-..._1_davis-cup/3

krosero · 05-06-2011, 05:30 PM

Sometimes I read about games described in number of points rather than number of deuces, so here's a chart to work with.

1 deuce - 8 point game
2 deuces - 10 points
3 deuces - 12 points
4 deuces - 14 points
5 deuces - 16 points
6 deuces - 18 points
7 deuces - 20 points
8 deuces - 22 points
9 deuces - 24 points
10 deuces - 26 points
11 deuces - 28 points
12 deuces - 30 points
13 deuces - 32 points
14 deuces - 34 points
15 deuces - 36 points
16 deuces - 38 points
17 deuces - 40 points
18 deuces - 42 points
19 deuces - 44 points
20 deuces - 46 points
21 deuces - 48 points
22 deuces - 50 points
23 deuces - 52 points
24 deuces - 54 points
25 deuces - 56 points
26 deuces - 58 points
27 deuces - 60 points
28 deuces - 62 points
29 deuces - 64 points
30 deuces - 66 points
31 deuces - 68 points
32 deuces - 70 points
33 deuces - 72 points
34 deuces - 74 points
35 deuces - 76 points
36 deuces - 78 points
37 deuces - 80 points
38 deuces - 82 points
39 deuces - 84 points
40 deuces - 86 points

krosero · 05-06-2011, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pc1

I recall Borg against Vijay Amritraj in the 1974 US Open had a really long game in that match at 4-2 for Vijay in the fifth.

I think Borg and Laver had a really long game (from reading about it) in their match in the 1975 WCT Championship.

It's not something I keep track of but I'll try to think of some.

Edit-I tried to find some newspaper accounts of the Borg/Laver WCT match but the only thing I could find was that it was a 4 hour and 5 minute match. I would guess there were some long games. I thought I read something about them playing a twenty point game or so. Could be wrong.

Yes, Vijay held for 5-2 in the fifth set after 9 deuces.

Re Borg-Laver, that would be interesting if they had a marathon game, or more than one.

piece · 05-06-2011, 05:53 PM

Murray vs Kunitsyn, Dubai 2010. There was a 25min game that went to deuce 14 times.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/t...t-1907432.html

pc1 · 05-06-2011, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krosero

Yes, Vijay held for 5-2 in the fifth set after 9 deuces.

Re Borg-Laver, that would be interesting if they had a marathon game, or more than one.

Thanks. I feel pretty good that I remember that since I haven't seen the match in almost 37 years.

NLBwell · 05-06-2011, 07:43 PM

Probably (in terms of time) when Chris Evert was playing on clay. How long does it take to hit 100 moonballs? Then they have to play the second point.

heathcliff · 05-06-2011, 10:58 PM

i remember us open 91 connors vs. kriskstein: krickstein serving at 4-2 in the 5th set the game went over 8 deuces or so also becker vs. rostagno at the us open 89 there was a game that went over 7 or 8 deuces. both games lasted 20 minutes or so each

BTURNER · 05-07-2011, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NLBwell

Probably (in terms of time) when Chris Evert was playing on clay. How long does it take to hit 100 moonballs? Then they have to play the second point.

Evert hardly ever hit a 'moonball' in her rallies. She used them to either mix things up, or catch her breath. She hit pretty flat with just enough spin for margin, with her woodie,even on clay. She added some more top for margin as she learned to put more pace with newer technology for further control of the power. As for the length of those rallies, well that was up to her opponent. How long did they want to wait before loosing it LOL. Borg on clay was worse - and watching Nystrom was was like War and Peace without the exciting scenes.

I do admit that in a match of Evert vs Manuela Maleeva or Austin, we could wait a very long time for an indeterminate conclusion.

Moose Malloy · 05-09-2011, 10:56 AM

14 deuces, Sharapova holds at 1-1 in the 2nd vs Venus at '07 Wimbledon
13 deuces, Serena holda at 5-0 in the 1st vs Suarez Navarro at '10 Australian

wikipedia says that Wade was broken at 5-6 in the 2nd vs King at the 1970 Italian Open in a 21 deuce game.

Thud and blunder · 05-09-2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

16 deuces, Krishnan broken at 0-2 in 2nd set vs Edberg at '87 USO
11 deuces, Coria broken at 3-5 in the 3rd set vs Nadal at '05 Rome Masters
10 deuces, Blake held at 1-1 in 2nd set vs Fed at '03 USO
10 deuces, Wilander held at 3-2 in the 3rd set vs Edberg at the '87 USO

this link says that Berasategu had a 28 deuce game vs Fillippini at 1996 Casablanca

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-04-..._1_davis-cup/3

Doesn't add up....62 points in 20 minutes, on clay to boot...

krosero · 05-09-2011, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

wikipedia says that Wade was broken at 5-6 in the 2nd vs King at the 1970 Italian Open in a 21 deuce game.

The source there is Lance Tingay’s The Guinness Book of Tennis Facts & Feats (1983). There were 22 deuces per the Associated Press the day after the match.

Tingay has the game lasting 22 minutes; the AP has 30 minutes.

It was a semifinal. King won 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. She beat Heldman in the final (her only Italian Open title).

krosero · 05-09-2011, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heathcliff

i remember us open 91 connors vs. kriskstein: krickstein serving at 4-2 in the 5th set the game went over 8 deuces or so also becker vs. rostagno at the us open 89 there was a game that went over 7 or 8 deuces. both games lasted 20 minutes or so each

Yes, in the Krickstein match it was 8 deuces exactly (and Krickstein held).

jrepac · 05-09-2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTURNER

I do admit that in a match of Evert vs Manuela Maleeva or Austin, we could wait a very long time for an indeterminate conclusion.

I loved Chris's game, but when she played Manuela I wanted to slit my wrists...

gpt · 05-10-2011, 05:51 PM

If i remember correctly, Cash held serve after something like 12 Deuce points against Edberg to stay in the second set during the 87 AO final. Cash still went down 2 sets to love before losing in 5

krosero · 05-19-2011, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

this link says that Berasategu had a 28 deuce game vs Fillippini at 1996 Casablanca

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-04-..._1_davis-cup/3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thud and blunder

Doesn't add up....62 points in 20 minutes, on clay to boot...

That does look like a problem, it would mean 3 points per minute.

This link has the numbers reversed: http://voodemar.com/?page_id=1307
"Alberto Bersategui wins the longest game (28 minutes, 20 deuces) – Casablanca"

That would be 46 points in 28 minutes.

suwanee4712 · 05-20-2011, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrepac

I loved Chris's game, but when she played Manuela I wanted to slit my wrists...

I HATE moonballers which is why I could never be a fan of the mind-numbing clay court games of Sanchez Vicario and Martinez. But I never really minded Chris' battles with Manuela because every ball had a purpose to it and you could see the strategy. It was about positioning, nuetralizing Chris' flat ground strokes, and getting a shot at a short forehand which was Manuela's best shot. These exchanges wouldn't last forever. Manuela was a lot like Andrea Jaeger, the older she got the less she moonballed.

I'll never forget the experience of having watched Sanchez in Rome one year where there was no point to the moonballing. It's just what they wanted to do to see who would miss first. There was another match in Paris around 1994 or 1996 when the French fans just started booing Sanchez and whoever her opponent was.....might've been Habsudova. By the time the match ended there were scarcely 100 people left on Court Centrale.

I suppose there actually was a point to Martinez's constant moonballing against Capriati in 1990 or 1991 at the French. They were on an outside court and it looked like Martinez wanted to see if she could make the ball leave the court off one bounce. But I guess she figured that was her best chance to win....and she did.

krosero · 05-21-2011, 01:16 PM

Wonder if PC1 or others remember anything about a long game that Connors and Laver played in their Challenge Match in '75. It was reported as 22 points, or 8 deuces. It was Laver serving at 4-5 in the fourth set, and he finally held after saving 5 match points.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...2+points&hl=en

I don't know if there's any surviving footage of that game and I've never seen it. My highlights of the match end in the middle of the fourth set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SptdffCeVmM

krosero · 05-29-2011, 07:29 PM

A link given to me by someone else, looks like an alltime record: http://www.sportscomet.com/Tennis/217927.htm

"The longest known singles game was one of 37 deuces (80 points) between Anthony Fawcett (Rhodesia) and Keith Glass (Great Britain) in the first round of the Surrey, Great Britain Championships at Surbiton, Surrey, Great Britain on 26 May 1975. It lasted 31 min."

05-06-2011, 04:50 PM	#1
krosero Hall Of Fame Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,643	Longest games What are the longest games you know of? These are some to start off with, just some I've made a note of. I'm sure there are longer games. I'm listing the server's name first and whether or not they held serve, followed by some details of what the server did, and the opponent's name. 15 deuces, 1987 RG, Lendl is broken at 5-3 in third set, loses 9 set points, saves 6 break points, opponent was Nystrom 13 deuces, 1995 Wimbledon final, Sanchez Vicario is broken at 5-all in third, saves 5 break points vs. Graf 11 deuces, 1980 Chicago final, Evert is broken at 4-5 in the first set, saves 6 set points vs. Navratilova 11 deuces, 1996 AO SF, Agassi holds in second set vs. Chang 10 deuces, 1980 Wimbledon SF, Connors holds at 4-2 in second set vs. McEnroe 10 deuces, 1981 Toyota Championships, round robin, Austin holds at 3-all in the first set vs. Evert 10 deuces, 1985 USO SF, Evert is broken at 2-3 in the third vs. Mandlikova 10 deuces, 1987 AO final, Cash holds in second set, saves 5 set points vs. Edberg 10 deuces, 2005 AO, R128, Santoro broken in first game of second set vs. Federer 10 deuces, 2007 WTA Championships final, Henin is broken at 5-6 in the first set, saves 7 set points vs. Sharapova

05-06-2011, 05:04 PM	#2
pc1 Legend Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 7,145	I recall Borg against Vijay Amritraj in the 1974 US Open had a really long game in that match at 4-2 for Vijay in the fifth. I think Borg and Laver had a really long game (from reading about it) in their match in the 1975 WCT Championship. It's not something I keep track of but I'll try to think of some. Edit-I tried to find some newspaper accounts of the Borg/Laver WCT match but the only thing I could find was that it was a 4 hour and 5 minute match. I would guess there were some long games. I thought I read something about them playing a twenty point game or so. Could be wrong. Last edited by pc1 : 05-06-2011 at 05:13 PM.

05-10-2011, 05:51 PM	#16
gpt Professional Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 865	If i remember correctly, Cash held serve after something like 12 Deuce points against Edberg to stay in the second set during the 87 AO final. Cash still went down 2 sets to love before losing in 5 __________________ the past is gone forever and the future never gets here

05-21-2011, 01:16 PM	#19
krosero Hall Of Fame Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,643	Connors-Laver Wonder if PC1 or others remember anything about a long game that Connors and Laver played in their Challenge Match in '75. It was reported as 22 points, or 8 deuces. It was Laver serving at 4-5 in the fourth set, and he finally held after saving 5 match points. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...2+points&hl=en I don't know if there's any surviving footage of that game and I've never seen it. My highlights of the match end in the middle of the fourth set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SptdffCeVmM

05-29-2011, 07:29 PM	#20
krosero Hall Of Fame Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,643	37 deuce game A link given to me by someone else, looks like an alltime record: http://www.sportscomet.com/Tennis/217927.htm "The longest known singles game was one of 37 deuces (80 points) between Anthony Fawcett (Rhodesia) and Keith Glass (Great Britain) in the first round of the Surrey, Great Britain Championships at Surbiton, Surrey, Great Britain on 26 May 1975. It lasted 31 min." Last edited by krosero : 05-29-2011 at 08:34 PM.