1969 - Men's Singles First Round
P Gonzales (US) bt C Pasarell (US) 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9
The longest match ever played at Wimbledon lasted five hours, 12 minutes and included 112 games in 1969.
Pancho Gonzales finally beat Charlie Pasarell 22-24 1-6 16-14 6-3 11-9. It is unlikely it will ever be beaten due to the introduction of tie-breaks.
The match would have been even longer but for Gonzales having a tantrum and throwing the second set.
He was furious with umpire Harold Duncombe, who refused to go off for bad light at the end of the day
Gonzales, who had won the US Open 20 years earlier, was 41 at the time and in those days players did not sit down at the change of ends, but simply wiped the perspiration away, downed a mouthful of barley water and got on with it.
When they returned for the second day, Gonzales, who had coached Pasarell, was two sets down. But he wrapped up the third set 16-14 when the younger man hit two double faults.
By this time the crowd, who had booed Gonzales for his complaints at the end of the first day, got right behind him.
He cruised through the fourth but again went into overtime in the fifth.
Pasarell squandered seven match points and Gonzales twice managed to escape from 0-40 in spectacular style in the final set.
An exhausted Gonzales still managed to win his next two rounds before losing to fellow American Arthur Ashe.