Isner tops Mahut in longest-ever tennis match
Tennis Betting Lines
06/24/2010 - Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Towering American John Isner defeated Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in tennis history by winning their epic fifth set, 70-68, on Thursday.
A 23rd-seeded Isner needed three days to post an improbable 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-3), 70-68 victory over the qualifier Mahut at the storied All England Club.
The two warriors were tied at 59-59 in the fifth set when play was suspended for a second straight day Wednesday due to insufficient light. They played the first four sets on Tuesday and were all even heading into the fifth on Wednesday.
The marathon of marathon bouts started at 6:13 pm on Tuesday and finally concluded at 4:48 pm on Thursday.
The 6-foot-9 Isner and 6-foot-3 Mahut played fifth-set tennis for more than seven hours on Wednesday in a war of attrition that ultimately lasted a record 11 hours, 5 minutes. They battled, and battled, for 7 hours, 6 minutes alone on Wednesday, and squared off for just under three hours here on Tuesday.
The fifth set took a mind-boggling 8 hours, 11 minutes to complete.
The world No. 19 North Carolina native and former University of Georgia Bulldog Isner finally converted on his fifth match point by swatting a backhand winner past a distraught Mahut on Thursday.
Mahut had to serve 65 times to stay in the match.
The 25-year-old Isner and 28-year-old Mahut set other records like games played in a match (183), games played in a set (138), points in a match (980), combined aces (215), and aces by an individual in a match (112 by Isner). The previous record for games in a match was 112 at Wimbledon in 1969. Isner and Mahut played more games than that in the fifth set alone on Wednesday.
The previous record for aces in a match was 78, set by 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic. Both Isner and Mahut eclipsed that mark here on Wednesday. Mahut wound up with 103 aces.
The previous longest-ever match was 6 hours, 33 minutes, set at the 2004 French Open, and the previous record for longest-ever fifth set was a mere 40 games.
Isner and Mahut were honored on the court and received mementos to mark the occasion. Former British star Tim Henman was involved in the ceremony, which ended with the combatants having their picture taken in front on the number-riddled scoreboard on Court 18.
The battle-tested Isner's second-round opponent on Friday will be Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker, who won in five sets here on Wednesday, including a 30-game fifth stanza.
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Sharks have re-signed forwards Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. Marleau has spent his entire 12-season career with San Jose while Pavelski has played four seasons in the NHL, all with the Shar
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The 18-year-old, who has signed a four-year deal with the club, arrives in
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<< Paraguay eliminates unbeaten Kiwis, wins Group F
Polokwane, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paraguay wrapped up first place in
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in the FIFA World Cup.
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World Cup champions Italy, 3-2, at Ellis Park Stadium in Group F action on
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6-3, 6-4, 6-2, playing in
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Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to terms
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offseason workouts with San Fr
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Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former champion Maria Sharapova was a
straight-set second-round victor Thursday at Wimbledon.
The 2004 titlist handled Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-1, 6-4 on Court 1 at
the famed All England Club.
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Nelspruit, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - North Korea and Ivory Coast square
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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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It's less than a month until the NHL hockey betting season opens at MySportsbook.com and preparations are underway for another battle in the race to hoist Lord Stanley's mug in 2007.
As cup crazy fans prepare to place their bets, one online sportsbook ,MySportsbook.com, is offering hockey betting lines on the 2007/2007 Stanley Cup , who will bring it home this upcoming season.
Despite a poor showing in last season's playoffs and the loss of Steve Yzerman to retirement, the Detroit Red Wings are early favourites at this online sportsbook with wagering odds of 6-1. The Wings will look to offensive powerhouse Pavel Datsyuk and newly appointed captain Nicklas Lidstrom to lead one of the league's most prominent franchises.
Always a threat are the Ottawa Senators, with newly acquired goaltender Martin Gerber from the Stanley Cup champion ,Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens are second best in the rankings at a 7-1 bet, and odds makers at this sportsbook are optimistic that the Ottawa squad will fare better than last season's Eastern Conference semi-final upset to the Buffalo Sabres.
Also worth noting are the defending Stanley Cup champs Carolina Hurricanes, a 10-1 bet to repeat. Behind the Canes are the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Mighty Ducks all sit at 12-1. In the basement are the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues who all have 100-1 odds to win.
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