The umpire who presided over the longest match in tennis history says he was so enthralled by the epic struggle that he didn’t feel tired.
Mohamed Lahyani of Sweden spent 11 hours, 5 minutes over three days in the umpire’s chair before declaring victory for John Isner over Nicolas Mahut. The fifth set score was 70-68.
The 34-year-old Lahyani said that he was so “gripped by the amazing match” that his concentration stayed solid and he didn’t think about eating or going to the bathroom.
Lahyani’s comments were released in a statement by Wimbledon officials.