• What the Deuce

Marathon man Isner now needs to prove his staying power

John Isner triumphed in a battle of mental and physical resilience against Nicolas Mahut © Getty Images

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Roger Federer, the undisputed king of Wimbledon; Rafael Nadal, the world No. 1; Andy Murray, the local hero. Each have made their way into the quarter-finals at Wimbledon - some with greater ease than others.

But for three players used to top billing at every tournament they go to, their endeavours last week were overshadowed by the exploits of two players over on Court 18.

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut may not have been household names going into Wimbledon, but between them they ensured their place in the record books for a long time to come.

Never has the word 'epic' been more apt in their astonishing first-round match. Between them they ripped up the record books, smashing virtually every record possible.

The longest match in history; the longest set, both in duration and number of games; the most aces served in a match. The fifth set alone, lasting eight hours and 11 minutes, obliterated the previous record for the longest tennis match between Arnaud Clement and Fabrice Santoro at the 2004 French Open, which lasted six hours and 33 minutes.

It is difficult to really fathom the physical torture the players must have gone through over their three-day marathon, lasting 11 hours and five minutes. But to put it into perspective, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, or whichever team goes on to win this year's FIFA World Cup, could win the coveted trophy having played less than 11 hours of football over a period of four weeks.

World record holder Haile Gebrselassie could run the marathon five times over, and Serena Williams had won all seven of her Championship matches en route to her third Wimbledon title last year.

For someone ranked inside the world's top 20, a second-round defeat would ordinarily be considered a disappointment, but after the longest match in history; the victorious Isner was inevitably steamrolled in just 74 minutes by Thiemo de Bakker.

Isner's victory ensured his place in the history books © Getty Images

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If his 6-4 3-6 6-7(7) 7-6(3) 70-68 win was nothing short of incredible, victory in the second round would have been even more astonishing. But it is safe to say that big things will now be expected of the American. He has one of the best serves in the game, and even after three days he was hitting 135 miles per hour aces.

There is no doubting his mental toughness. After turning pro in 2007, the American has made steady, if not stunning, progress. He won his first ATP Tour title in January and in March he broke into the top 20 for the first time. At 25, he still has time on his side, but he is older than both Nadal and Murray; and by his 25th birthday Federer had already won eight Grand Slams.

As the tennis circuit returns to the US for the hard court season Part II, the next few months could prove critical for Isner. A successful showing at the two Masters events in Cincinnati and Toronto, followed by a strong display at the US Open, where he will now be guaranteed huge support following his heroics at Wimbledon, could see him make his assault into the top ten.

Sponsorship offers are likely to come flooding through the door for the first man to hit a century of aces in a single match. Companies will be queuing up to sign the sportsman whose victory was the embodiment of stamina. But whether he can follow up his heroics with a genuine show of staying power and make a charge on the top ten remains to be seen.

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