Tennis, Anyone? Hockey's Ties With Wimbledon

In what has to be one of the most amazing and historic athletic feats of all time is happening this week at Wimbledon.

23rd-seeded John Isner of the United States and French qualifier Nicholas Mahut played - and continue to play - the longest match in tennis history. The match went exactly 10 hours before action was suspended because of darkness at 59-59 in the fifth set in their Wimbledon. Update Isner won the match 70-68 after another hour of play on Thursday morning.

The match actually started on Tuesday, but after 3 gruelling hours darkness set in. Seven more hours of tennis could not decide a winner on Wednesday. The two continue their compelling grudge match on Thursday.

For you hockey fans, this reminds me to make my annual mention of hockey's connection with Wimbledon. Yes, it is true. Jaroslav Drobny was a cold-war era world champion/Olympian from Czechoslovakia who had the Boston Bruins interested. But he was an even better tennis player, winning Wimbledon's mens title in 1954. Interestingly, political differences forced him from his homeland. He actually won the title representing his adopted home of Egypt.

You can read all about Jarsolav Drobny here.