Last updated on .From the section Tennis

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev won six titles in 2021, including his first success in Acapulco

The Mexican Open's first-round match between Alexander Zverev and Jenson Brooksby set a new record for the latest finish to a tennis match.

The match ended at 4:55am local time in Acapulco.

The German won the second set in one hour and 51 minutes.

Lleyton Hewitt beat Marcos Baghdatis in the 2008 Australian Open.

All three Centre Court matches on Monday lasted more than three hours because of the heat and humidity, and play in Acaplulco does not begin until 6pm local time.

The three hour 20 minute match between Zverev, 24, and 21-year-old American Brooksby - which did not get under way until 1:35am - fell one minute short of the longest match in Mexican Open history.

The previous record had been set earlier on Monday when Grigor Dimitrov was defeated by the man who would go on to win the title.

After three hours and 14 minutes, John Isner and Fernando Verdasco came close to matching that time.

On Wednesday, Zverev will face Gojowczyk.

'The latest entry in tennis scheduling's hall of shame'

Russell is a tennis correspondent.

When a sporting event ends late into the night, there is always a morbid fascination.

An impressively large crowd stayed to the end, supplemented by a few extra viewers in Europe, where the match could almost be taking place in prime time.

This is not smart. Or strange. It is the newest entry in the hall of shame.

It is hot and humid in Acaplulco. Trying to schedule three matches from 6pm is not a good idea and can lead to trouble.

It is not fair on the players that these matches are played in empty stadia.

Johanna Konta said after a 3am finish at the Australian Open that she doesn't agree with athletes having to physically exert themselves in the wee hours of the morning.

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