Tuesday, January 15, 2013

  Longest tie-break: Benjamin Balleret and Guillaume Couillard set world record

Plantation, FL, USA--A new world record of 70 points for the longest tie-break in professional tennis has been set at a Futures event in Florida when Monaco's world No 636 Benjamin Balleret beat unranked compatriot Guillaume Couillard 36-34 , according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/.

  Photo: Longest tie-break recorded as Monaco's Benjamin Balleret (pictured) beats Guillaume Couillard 36-34. ( enlarge photo )

The Guinness world record for the most tennis hits between two people in one hour is 5,279 and was achieved by Isidro Martinez and Paul Coorssen (both United States), at the Milford Indoor Tennis Club, Connecticut, United States.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the most people bouncing tennis balls on tennis rackets: 658 - achieved by Wilson Racquet Sports (USA) in advance of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, New York, USA.

  Balleret and Couillard established the world record in the first set of their qualifying third round game at the Plantation Future event, the lowest category of professional tennis.

  The previous world record for the longest tie-break in a singles match was 38 points. It was reached three times, the latest in 1997 when Goran Ivanisevic beat Greg Rusedski in the decisive set of their encounter at the Queen's tournament in London.

  Balleret won the match 7-6 (36-34) 6-1 as 37-year-old Couillard eventually wilted.

 "Neither of us sensed the first set would last so long. We were both really tight, because we know each other so well. We didn't want to lose it. When we switched ends during the tie-break, with the score in the 20s and 30s, we were laughing," said Balleret, the world number 636.

  "We haven't been able to find a tie-break that went longer than this," the International Tennis Federation said of the marathon tie-break which took place on Sunday.
[In the end, the ATP declared the 36-34 result invalid for theis statistics. The tiebreak was played in the qualifiers of an ITF event and was competed with no referee. World Record Academy still recognize the record because it was PUBLIC event and a record set during an OFFICIAL competition]

  "You don't think about it when you're in it, but after the set we were frivously laughing about it,'' said Balleret, whose ranked 636, well off his career-best 204 in 2006.
 "I saw it all over the Internet.''
 "I was cramping on my serves on one of my 20 set points and the ball didn't go more than six meters,'' smiled Couillard, a national team coach for the Monaco Tennis Federation.
 "I have no words for the match.''

  The longest professional tennis match recorded, in both time and total games, was the Wimbledon 2010 first-round match between Frenchman Nicolas Mahut and American John Isner, which stretched over three days.
  After 11 hours, five minutes and several smashed records, Isner finally won the last set 70-68.

   Related world records:
Longest singles tennis match: Sam Angel and Katie Martens set world record (Video)

Fastest Tennis Ball Pass (Team): TyneMet College Breaks World Record

Longest Singles Tennis Match: Carlo Santelli and Daniel Burns
Longest tennis coaching marathon: Andy Wheeler
Most people bouncing a tennis ball: RPT
Longest tennis rally: Ettore and Angelo A. Rossetti
Longest table tennis rally: Andrea Holt
Longest Tennis Match: John Isner and Nicholas Mahut

Last update:Tuesday, January 15, 2013 8:34 AM