Projo Sports Blog

Imagine playing tennis for 14 hours and 31 minutes without a break. No water. No food. No bathroom.

Impossible? Not if you are identical twins Angelo and Ettore Rossetti. Last August, the brothers shattered the Guinness World Record for the longest rally when they hit a Penn 4 ball 25,944 consecutive times at the North Haven Health & Racquet Club in North Haven, Conn. They started at 9:30 on a Saturday morning and finished at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.

The Rossettis, certified USPTA teaching pros, will be in Newport Saturday and Sunday as part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame's Family Weekend, the kickoff to Newport Tennis Week 2009. They will make a presentation each day at 11:15 a.m. conduct a demonstration and clinic from noon to 1. They also will sign autographs and pose for photos.

The Rossettis started their marathon point with a serve and a backhand return. Each then struck 12,971 consecutive forehands. The rally ended when Angelo let the ball go without swinging. As a result, neither brother committed an unforced error. They had hit the felt fuzz off the Penn 4, reducing it to a brown rubber ball.

To prepare for this endurance test the Rossettis for nine months taught lessons for 12 to 14 hours a day on weekends without a break.

Other features of Family Weekend will include qualfying for the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships that start Monday, junior clinics, fast serve contests, quick start tennis, face painting, museum exhibits, scavenger hunts, crafts and Wii tennis in the USTA Wing.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-16 and free for kids 5 and younger. Clinics are for children 5-12. To reserve a spot, call the Hall of Fame tournament office at 401-849-6053.

 Tags  Tennis Hall of Fame

Leave a comment

Name:

Email:

URL:  

Remember personal info?

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.