Australian Lleyton Hewitt emerged from retirement to win one of the most dramatic Wimbledon matches of his life.
The 2002 men's singles champion had not played since March, when he was a late replacement for the injured Nick Kyrgios in a Davis Cup doubles rubber against the United States.
However the 35-year-old took a wild card for the Wimbledon men's doubles and teamed up with Jordan Thompson on a raucous Court Nine to claim a stunning 6-7 (6/8) 6-4 19-17 win over Nicolas Almagro and David Marrero.
The final set alone lasted two hours and 37 minutes, with the match in its entirety spanning just two minutes short of four hours.
Hewitt and 22-year-old compatriot Thompson saved eight match points over the course of the dramatic contest.
Thompson said of their success: " To play with someone I idolised is unbelievable, and so is winning 19-17 in a deciding set. He just told me to relax and enjoy the moment. It was the only thing he said and the only thing I needed to hear."
He added, on the ATP tour website: "( Our partnership) was a last-minute thing. I am extremely honoured to play with him. I had been looking forward to it ever since we received our wild card. You can learn a lot from him. Practising with him has made me a better player."
Source: PA
