<\/a>It was a marathon tennis match; it might have been a gladiator duel in ancient Rome.\u00a0 From Tuesday, June 22 \u2013 Thursday, June 24, two tennis players engaged in the longest tennis match of all time.\u00a0 Finally, after 11 hours, five minutes, John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut, 70-68 in the fifth set.\u00a0 The valor of their play was only matched by the gratuitous and mindless display of selfishness on the part of many of the fans.<\/p>\n Playing on a non-lighted court, the match was suspended on the first day of competition due to darkness.\u00a0 There is nothing abnormal about that at Wimbledon.\u00a0 But on Wednesday, the players resumed play at 3\u00a0pm local time.\u00a0 Of the four major tennis tournaments, the French Open and Wimbledon are the only two that require the contestants to \u201cplay out\u201d the final set; i.e. no tie-breaker, and they continue playing until one or the other is up by two games.<\/p>\n At 6-6 in the fifth set, Isner served and \u201cheld\u201d (won his serve).\u00a0 Mahut responded by doing the same.\u00a0 This was not thoroughly unexpected.\u00a0 They both had overpowering serves that day, and as in so many matches, it would be decided when one or the other player \u201ctanked\u201d while trying to hold his serve.<\/p>\n Like clockwork, each player held his serve.\u00a0 Afternoon turned into evening, to dusk and eventually to the near darkness of night.\u00a0 By 9:10 pm, the score in the fifth set was an unprecedented 59-59.<\/p>\n As outstanding as the performance of the players was, the conduct of many of the fans was something less than exemplary.\u00a0 This is not unusual at either professional or amateur sports <\/a>events.\u00a0 The fans rose to their feet, not uncommon when play is outstanding and the crowd has been locked into their seats for hours.\u00a0\u00a0 What was disturbing were the words that they were uttering.\u00a0 The rhythmic chant came from the stands: \u201cWe want more; we want more.\u201d<\/p>\n On the surface , these words were complimentary.\u00a0 It is almost de rigueur<\/em> at musical concerts; the performer(s) leave the state with what is billed as the final song; the fans stand, continue to clap, and chant for more.\u00a0 The musician(s) then return(s) to the stage for what is often a spectacular finale, but it is final, and when it\u2019s over the night is done.<\/p>\n While the performances of the two players at Wimbledon that Wednesday evening continued to be scintillating, with both diving for balls (particularly Mahut), it was clear that they were running on only adrenalin.\u00a0 If I had to give a title to the late Wednesday play, it would be \u201ctwo dead men walking.\u201d\u00a0 As the set reached 55-55 and moved on, it was clear that there was still considerable more daylight by Wimbledon standards, so the players and the officials had to scramble for a way to bring play to a halt for the day; the rulebook simply had no provision for this situation.\u00a0 Essentially what everyone did by formal or informal agreement was a \u201cwork slow-down.\u201d\u00a0 The injuries were there, be they real or psychosomatic, and nature is not concerned with deadlines; it called, and \u00a0the players took restroom breaks.<\/p>\n