French veteran wins longest game in history
French veteran Fabrice Santoro triumphed over compatriot Arnaud Clement in the longest match in tennis history at Roland Garros today.
Santoro, who is unseeded, saved two match points against him before defeating his former Davis Cup team-mate 6-4 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 3-6 16-14 with the fifth set lasting a total of two hours and 53 minutes.
The match, which was played over two days after bad light stopped play on Monday night, lasted a world-record six hours and 33 minutes.
Santoro, who broke down in tears after his win, said: “This is an exceptional moment for me. Beyond the win there was a great emotion on court and that’s what I am playing for.
“We were both heroes in that match. This is he first time in my career that I had to stop a match that way and then win it that way.
“When I arrived on court on Tuesday to complete the fifth set, I took two bottles of mineral water, thinking I would be on court for only 10 minutes.”
