How great? Previously, the longest match in Wimbledon history clocked in at six and a half hours; in this one, the fifth set alone lasted more than eight. If that’s not enough perspective, consider that a standard tennis “epic” five-setter will usually involve 50 or so games. Including tiebreakers, Isner-Mahut required … 183.

You can watch a few highlights here, but they’re uneventful. Spend your time instead on the spectacle below, in which a first-round match played on one of the outer courts gets the full championship treatment replete with ceremonial gifts and remarks to the crowd. I’m such a sucker for post-game sportsmanship. Exit quotation: “It’s great, something Nic and I will share forever, really. I never said five words to the guy prior to the match. When I see him in the locker room at tournaments, we can share this.”