Pair serve up 36 hours of tennis to set record

Two Galway tennis players have reclaimed their world record for the longest non-stop competitive doubles match.

Mike Geraghty (43) and Francis Power (20) had spent 36 hours on court at Galway Lawn Tennis Club when they finished their final set at midnight on Saturday. "I'm not going to pick up a racquet now for a week," said Geraghty, adding that he would understand if Power "never wanted to see me again".

Power played for much of Saturday with an injured shoulder which prevented him from serving overarm, and had to take medication for a stomach upset.

The pair set their first world record two years ago - at 26 hours - but had it taken last year by two German players who set a time of 33 hours, 33 minutes and 33 seconds.

Power is a professional tennis coach based at the Galway club, while Geraghty is a father of three who owns a video library in the Newcastle area of the city and ran for the Progressive Democrats in last year's local elections.

Under Guinness Book of Records regulations the pair were monitored by three independent witnesses.

The new submission will be made to the Guinness book's administration by Marie Gordon.

Some 36 players from Galway, Sligo, Dublin and beyond volunteered to play 18 partnerships with the pair at two-hour intervals, including two Dubliners who hold a world singles record, Karl Falsey and Ciaran Gilchrist.

Geraghty and Power were allowed a five-minute break every hour, and a minute for swap-over after two games. "The frequent rub-downs, and the fact that we ate sandwiches and drank constantly was the key," Geraghty said yesterday.

Rain dominated for much of Saturday, but "it was harder for the players coming on court for two hours than for us", Geraghty recalls. The effort was backed up by a large team of supporters, including Galway Lawn Tennis Club administrator Sheila Dempsey, two doctors, Gerard Brennan and Rita Halloran, two doctors anda team of volunteer physiotherapists.

Two charities stand to benefit from the effort - the Mark Griffin fund, which is raising money to rehabilitate a young Galway man involved in an accident, and University College Hospital Galway's children's treatment fund.