LONDON, July 4: Brazil’s Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa went into the Wimbledon record books on Wednesday when they beat Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett in the second round of the men’s doubles 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 28-26.

The match set a new men’s doubles record in terms of games played and most games played in the final set.The tie lasted 5 hours 58 minutes, just 11 minutes short of the longest ever match at the championships which is 6 hours 9 minutes set in 2006 when Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor beat Simon Aspelin and Todd Perry in the men’s doubles quarter-finals.

The match resumed on Wednesday with Australian Hanley and Ullyett, of Zimbabwe, leading 14-13 in the final set.

The previous record for the most number of games in a Wimbledon men’s doubles match was 98, set in 1966, when Eugene Scott and Niki Pilic defeated Cliff Richey and Torben Ulrich 19-21, 12-10, 6-4, 4-6, 9-7.

The previous record for the longest fifth set at Wimbledon was 24-22, set in a men’s doubles match in 1985, when Heinz Gunthardt and Balazs Taroczy defeated Paul Annacone and Christo Van Rensburg 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-7, 24-22. —AFP