Jamie Blair and Glenn Pope performed tennis for greater than 82 consecutive hours on the Nationwide Tennis Centre in Melbourne to boost consciousness for males’s well being.
Melbourne, Australia, 29 April 2024 | Leigh Rogers
The Melbourne sporting precinct was abuzz on Sunday night.
There was Australian Soccer League motion on the Melbourne Cricket Floor, with Hawthorn internet hosting the Sydney Swans. Throughout the street at AAMI Park, Melbourne Metropolis’s males’s and ladies’s groups featured in an A-League double-header in opposition to Western United.
Nestled in between on the Nationwide Tennis Centre, a crowd had additionally gathered at Court docket 18 to marvel on the endurance of two Melbourne mates trying to set a brand new tennis world file.
Shortly after 4pm, following greater than a gruelling 80 hours and 48 minutes on courtroom, Glenn Pope and Jamie Blair achieved their objective of contesting the world’s longest singles marathon.
“Clearly I’m completely satisfied we’ve damaged the file. We’ve simply performed the longest tennis match in historical past,” a proud Pope instructed tennis.com.au.
“There’s a couple of aches and pains, however other than that, I really feel actually good.”
Their deliberate charity match started at 7.30am on Thursday morning, following the ANZAC daybreak service, and concluded greater than 82 hours later.
The 56-year-old Pope described the bodily soreness as the largest problem in attaining the feat.
“There have been instances the place the soles of my toes had been simply aching,” he mentioned. “Being on a flat, laborious floor for days is tough.”
It’s not the primary time that Pope and 51-year-old Blair have achieved a brand new world file, having beforehand contested the longest doubles match in 2019. That match, additionally performed at Melbourne Park, lasted 61 minutes and quarter-hour.
“I don’t know what restoration goes to appear to be,” Pope admitted. “It took months final time.”
The inspiration for his or her newest world file try was to boost cash and consciousness for males’s psychological well being, a trigger near the hearts of each the ex-Australian Defence Pressure members.
> READ MORE: Melbourne mates clarify motivation for charity world file try
To this point, Pope and Blair’s efforts have raised greater than $5000 for Movember, a determine they hope might develop in coming days. Donations can nonetheless be made at their hyperlink beneath.
> DONATE NOW: Taking part in the Lengthy Recreation
Pope and Blair should now compile an utility to have their effort formally recognised by the Guinness World Information. This contains video footage of their match, plus witness statements from all of the umpires and timekeepers who volunteered their time to assist.
It won’t be their ultimate charity match or world file try both teased Pope.
“We’ve bought a couple of years left in us,” he mentioned. “I’ve bought a couple of issues at the back of my thoughts, so we’ll see.”
Discover your strategy to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on courtroom and have some enjoyable!
