Shortest tennis match records explained
This article covers records concerning the shortest-ever tennis matches both in terms of number of games and duration in terms of time. Matches affected by a retirement or default are not listed.
Short times
Men
Overall
- Jack Harper lost just one point when he defeated J. Sandiford 6–0, 6–0 at the 1946 Surrey Open Hard Court Championships in a match that lasted 18 minutes, the shortest men's singles match on record.[1]
- Francisco Clavet set an ATP tournament record in Shanghai in the first round of the 2001 Heineken Open Shanghai when he defeated Jiang Shan (Li Na's husband) in 25 minutes, 6–0, 6–0.[2]
Grand Slam tournaments
Wimbledon
- The 1881 Wimbledon final in which William Renshaw defeated John Hartley, 6–0, 6–1, 6–1, lasted 36 minutes.[3]
- Fred Perry defeated Gottfried von Cramm, 6–1, 6–1, 6–0, in the 1936 Wimbledon final in 40 minutes.[4]
- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Bernard Tomic in the first round in the 2019 Wimbledon Championships 6–2, 6–1, 6–4 in 58 minutes, though Tomic was later fined for a lack of effort.[5]
Masters Tour
Olympics
Women
Overall
- Margaret Court won the 1963 Eastern Grass Court Championships crown in a record 24-minute match against Darlene Hard, 6–1, 6–1.[8]
- Helen Wills defeated Joan Fry at the 1927 Wightman Cup 6–2, 6–0 in 24 minutes.[9]
- Helen Wills, while dispatching Emily Wright 6–0, 6–0 in Beaulieu, France in 1926, won the first set in 9 minutes.[10]
Grand Slam tournaments
French Open
- Steffi Graf won 6–0, 6–0, against Natasha Zvereva in the 1988 French Open final. The official time of the match given on the scoresheet was 34 minutes,[11] [12] [13] but the match consumed just 32 minutes of playing time, split into two periods of nine and 23 minutes because of a rain break. It is the only "double bagel" Grand Slam singles final of the Open Era, and only the second time in the history of tennis (the other being at 1911 Wimbledon).[14]
Wimbledon
- During the 1969 tournament, Sue Tutt beat Marion Boundy 6–2, 6–0 in 20 minutes.[15]
- In the 1922 Wimbledon final Suzanne Lenglen defeated Molla Mallory, 6–2, 6–0, in 23 minutes. Some accounts state that the match was over in 20 minutes.[16]
- In the 1925 Wimbledon final Lenglen defeated Joan Fry in 25 minutes, 6–2, 6–0.
Fewest games
Men (triple bagel)
There have been at least 17 best-of-five-set matches which have lasted 18 games (6–0, 6–0, 6–0), colloquially referred to as a "triple bagel", in the Open Era.[17] This is the shortest possible length for a best-of-five-set match, not including retirements or defaults.
Women (double bagel)
In women's tennis, matches featuring a minimum number of games are a more frequent occurrence. The following are women's Grand Slam singles matches which have lasted 12 games (6–0, 6–0), colloquially referred to as a "double bagel", in the Open Era. This is the shortest possible length for a best-of-three-set match, not including retirements or defaults.
Women's singles
Women's doubles
See also
Notes and References
- Book: Tingay. Lance. The Guinness Book of Tennis : Facts & Feats. 1983. Guinness Superlatives. Enfield. 9780851122687. 27.
- Web site: Match facts. www.atpworldtour.com. Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
- Book: Medlycott, James . 100 years of the Wimbledon tennis championships . 1977 . New York : Crescent Books . Internet Archive . 978-0-517-22425-0 . 14.
- Web site: Fred Perry. wimbledon.org. 2011-01-18.
- News: Wimbledon 2019: Bernard Tomic fined for not meeting 'professional standards'. BBC Sport. 2019-07-08.
- Web site: Match Facts . www.atpworldtour.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402120657/http://www.atpworldtour.com/Share/Match-Facts-Pop-Up.aspx?t=403&y=2014&r=1&p=N289 . 2015-04-02.
- Web site: John Millman creates history at Rio Olympics with 6–0, 6–0 win. Michael. Chammas. 6 August 2016. The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 July 2018.
- Margaret Smith gets net record . The Louisiana Shreveport Journal .
- Web site: The Evening News from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on August 13, 1927 . 20 September 2016.
- Web site: Helen Wills gain in Beaulieu tournament . 20 September 2016.
- Web site: The 1988 French Open: How Agassi arrived, Graf ruled and Wilander won. TheGuardian.com. 27 May 2014.
- Web site: 1988 French Open Ladies final . .
- Web site: Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment. Chicago Tribune.
- Wilding wins all-England cup . The Sydney Morning Herald . 10 July 1911.
- Web site: Tennis Facts Trivia . 20 September 2016.
- News: Lynch . Steven . 10 May 2010 . A game of two balls, and tennis' shortest finals . ESPN . dead . 31 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200204205116/http://en.espn.co.uk/espn/sport/story/21464.html/ . 4 Feb 2020.
- Web site: Triple Bagel – Der Alptraum aller Profis. 2 June 2017. Christian Albrecht. Barschel. Spox. 2 September 2020.
- Web site: Clijsters steamrollers Safina. Sky Sports. 2011-01-17. 2011-01-18.
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