The longest set in Olympic history was played when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France defeated Milos Raonic of Canada 6-3, 3-6, 25-23 in the second round of men’s singles in London 2012 at Wimbledon on Tuesday (July 31). The previous record in men’s singles was 30 games in 2004 when Fernando Gonzalez defeated Taylor Dent in the third set, 16-14, to win the bronze medal. The third set of a women’s doubles match in 1988 went to 20-18.
The longest set in Tennis history also was played at the All England Club in 2010 when John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set in the first round of Wimbledon. The contest between Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Milos Raonic also had the most number of games 66 in a best-of-three set match at the Olympics. The previous record was 63 games. Tennis was part of the Olympic Games from the inaugural 1896 Olympics, but was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics. It returned as a full medal sport at the 1988 Olympics and has been played at every edition of the Games since then. It was not played at the Olympics between 1924 and 1988.
first ever medal for Africa in fencing: Egypt’s Alaaeldin Abouelkassem has won the first Olympic medal ever claimed by a fencer from Africa. He lost the final 15-13 to his Chinese rival, yet could barely believe what he’d achieved by earning a silver medal. Alaaeldin Abouelkassem, son of an Algerian mother and an Egyptian father, said his victory would not just boost fencing in Egypt, but in all over Africa. “They need this medal to improve the fencing in Africa,” he said. On his way to the final, Alaaeldin Abouelkassem beat reigning world champion Andrea Cassara of Italy and former four-time world champion Peter Joppich of Germany.
Britain’s first gold in women’s rowing: Great Britain has collected its first gold medal of the London Games after Heather Stanning and Helen Glover won the coxless pairs with a stunning performance that will spark a mass outpouring of celebration and relief across the country on Wednesday (August 1). Facing the twice Olympic champions in lane one from Romania and the twice world champions from New Zealand, they dominated the race from start to finish and sealed victory in 7:27.13 in front of Australia and New Zealand.
One had never stepped in a rowing boat until 2008, the other will return to serve in the Royal Artillery in September. But Helen Glover and Heather Stanning will now go down in the record books as the first homegrown gold medallists of the London 2012 Olympics. Not only that but, in their first Olympics, they have made British sporting history as the first female rowing gold medal winners in a sport that has reliably delivered over the years.
