4 Hours 13 Minutes: ATP Challenger Match Comes Close To Breaking World Record

| by Sebastian Dahlman

The ATP Challenger circuit witnessed a thrilling match, as Taro Daniel and Ugo Humbert fought for over four hours, nearly breaking a world record.

In an electrifying display of stamina, skill, and determination, Taro Daniel and Ugo Humbert battled it out in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Sardegna Open in Cagliari. Their match, which lasted an incredible 4 hours and 13 minutes, came tantalizingly close to breaking the world record for the longest-played men's match in a best-of-three format.

The record still stands from the encounter between Gilles Hussey and Constantin Bittoun Kouzmine at the 2021 ITF Futures tournament in Cancun, Mexico. That legendary contest, which spanned 4 hours and 41 minutes, ended with Hussey's victory, 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4).

It surpassed the previous record set by Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro at the 2012 London Olympics semi-finals, a match that lasted 4 hours and 26 minutes.

Gauff & Pegula Reach Madrid Open Final Extending Win Streak To 9 Matches
Gauff & Pegula Reach Madrid Open Final Extending Win Streak To 9 Matches

Remarkably, the 4-hour, 13-minute spectacle between Daniel and Humbert was not even the longest ATP Challenger match in recent memory. Just a couple of weeks earlier, Calvin Hemery and Alexis Galarneau dueled for 4 hours and 21 minutes in Savannah.

The Sardegna Open clash between Daniel and Humbert featured long, grueling rallies, which got shorter as exhaustion kicked in, 39 break points, and an emotional rollercoaster for both players. The sixth-seeded Frenchman, Ugo Humbert, eventually emerged victorious, defeating the Japanese contender Taro Daniel with a score of 6-7(11), 7-6(7), 6-4.

The match was anything but predictable, as Daniel had three match points in the second set. However, Humbert dug deep and found the mental and physical strength to come back, eventually securing his spot in the semifinals.

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