Pierre-Hugues Herbert is happy to have competed in a record-setting encounter despite failing to qualify for the French Open.
The world No. 145 fell to Italian Andrea Arnaboldi, ranked No. 188, 6-4, 3-6, 27-25. The match lasted four hours and 26 minutes, a record for French Open qualifying.
"In fact, I am very satisfied," he said in French following the loss. "When I look that I had stopped for three months because of an injury to my shoulder, that I was not sure of playing Roland [Garros] this year ... I am very happy."
The match was stopped for darkness at 15-15 in the third set before resuming the next day.
"Of course, there is the disappointment of defeat, especially given that I led 3-1 yesterday," said the Frenchman, but added, "It was exactly the kind of match I needed. I was serving for four hours with no pain.
"When I came back at the Aix en Provence challenger, in doubles with Paul-Henri Mathieu, I was barely serving at 150 kph. And the doctor told me when I was injured there was only a four in five chance of it getting back completely ... Finally it's going in the right direction."
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