Got Game

What with everything going on in Phoenix this weekend, i.e., the Super Bowl and the PGA Phoenix Open, we're thinking sports. (Incidentally, according to one survey, 47% of Americans watch the Super Bowl for the football, while 41% tune in for the commercials and as an excuse to party with friends and family. See below for more factoids.) And a little farther from home, there's tennis being played, in the form of the 2015 Australian Open. It's drawing to a close now, which means it's time to look forward to the French Open (May 24-June 7) and Wimbleton (June 29-July 12). And what better way to get ready than by gathering a few pieces of tennis trivia with which to entertain your fellow enthusiasts? from wisegeek.com:

The record for the longest pro tennis match was 11 hours, 5 minutes and took place over the course of three days. The 2010 Wimbledon tennis match was between John Isner from the US and Nicolas Mahut from France. It finally ended in the maximum fifth set with a final score of 70-68, and a victory for Isner. The tennis match went on for so long because neither opponent was able to break the
other’s serve, and official Wimbledon rules did not allow for tiebreakers until the fifth set. Isner also set a record for the most aces served at 112.

More about tennis:

• The average men’s tennis match is three hours, while the average for women tennis players is two hours.


• An early version of tennis was played in the 12th century, but opponents used their bare hands to hit the ball before modern versions called for using rackets.


• The longest pro tennis match played in one day was six hours and 31 minutes and took place between women players, Vicki Nelson and Jean Hepner.

   Oh, and if you're in the market for some last-minute Super Bowl trivia, check these out: http://www.sportingcharts.com/articles/nfl/how-many-people-watch-the-super-bowl-each-year.aspx, http://www.sierrastar.com/2015/01/30/71762/super-bowl-fun-facts.html, and http://finance.yahoo.com/news/soasta-super-bowl-survey-facebook-130000238.html;_ylt=AwrTccBSVc1UtckA2dEnnIlQ.