France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Canadian Milos Raonic obliterated the Olympic record for longest set played with a 48-game marathon third set finally won by Tsonga on the point you can view above.
The previous record for longest set had been 30 games set in Athens in 2004. That was not played on grass, but DecoTurf. It definitely was not played on grass just a few weeks removed from the abuse of the Wimbledon tournament, which has left Olympic playing conditions ridiculously fast. It's on those same courts that the all-time pro record for longest match was set two years ago with Isner-Mahut, and the lack of a final set tiebreak in the Olympics presents the same scenario, time after time.
While future Olympic tennis venues might not feature grass, it's worth asking if the Olympics join the U.S. Open in allowing tiebreaks in all sets. Nobody really likes to see a match end that way, but the pain of losing a final is tempered somewhat in the Olympics with the honor of winning, at least, a silver medal. Then again, men's matches are only three sets in the Olympics anyway, so what's the harm in extending things a bit?
For a handy master schedule of every Olympic event, click here.
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