Lightning strikes twice with Isner-Mahut II

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut (extreme right) pose for the cameras after last year's marathon which ended in favour of Isner 70-68 in the fifth set

Wimbledon pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a repeat of the classic John Isner-Nicolas Mahut first-round match which went for more than 11 hours over three days a year ago.

Lightning struck twice as the pair was randomly selected to face off again in the opening round.

Isner won the 2010 marathon contest — longest ever played in the sport — over the Frenchman, with the pair becoming friends after their record-setting adventure together. An exhausted Isner lost in the second round and spent the next month off-court recovering from his exertions.