TWO tennis coaches took along a fridge and a microwave along with their spare rackets as they launched their bid for the longest continuous singles match.

Ryan Trickey and Andy Aitken are attempting to break the Guinness world record of 60 hours, 59 minutes and 58 seconds set in the United States in March.

They started at 9am yesterday at the Vale of White Horse Tennis and Leisure Centre off Audlett Drive in Abingdon and were still going strong last night.

If they are still playing at 9am on Thursday then they will have reached their target of 72 hours.

They are allowed a 90-second break when they swap ends after each alternate game, and a two-minute break after every set. They also have an average break of five minutes per hour and expect to take 30 minutes out every six hours.

Mr Trickey, 26, of Kennington, and Mr Aitken, 23, want to raise £20,000 for the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust charity.

Mr Aitken, of Haddenham, near Thame, said: “We could end up playing 90 to 100 sets and we won’t get a lot of sleep.

“It’s going to be tough but we will play proper games with the normal scoring. I love playing tennis and I hope this is not going to put me off.”

Mr Trickey, a coach with the Portcullis Club in Wallingford, said: “It’s a great personal challenge for both of us and a great cause. We estimate we’ll burn about 40,000 calories, so the physical toll will be quite tough to deal with.”

The charity supports disabled tennis players with equipment, coaching and facilities. Spokesman Marshall Thomas said: “This is a fantastic effort by Ryan and Andy and I hope they achieve their goal of breaking the record.

“Money they raise will help more disabled people to play the game. Tennis chairs can cost between £2,000 and £2,500 and people apply to us for grants.

“The lads have got a fridge and a microwave by the side of the court and they are eating lots of bananas to boost their energy levels.”

In April, as part of their training, the pair played 424 games over 33 hours.

Mr Trickey has been playing since he was three and Mr Aitken, who teaches at Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor Tennis Club, since he was five.

The current record was achieved by Sam Angel and playing partner Katie Martens at Missoula’s Peak Wellness Center in Montana in the United States.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk l To donate, text “tennis” to 70007. It costs £3 plus the standard message rate, with £2.40 going to the charity, or visit justgiving.com/longestsinglestennismatch