Brit Marcus Willis Upstages Roger Federer, Entire Men’s Field with Wild Wimbledon Win Monday
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GOAT and seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer won on Monday at the All England Club, but he was overshadowed by the man who will be his second-round opponent — British qualifier Marcus Willis, ranked No. 772, who won a pre-qualifying tournament before making it through the qualifying event, then on Monday upset No. 54-ranked Ricardas Berankis at Wimbledon 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
ADHEREL
“It’s gotten a little bit out of hand,” said the 25 year old from Slough, who was considering moving to America to teach tennis at a club before meeting his current girlfriend. “I’m enjoying it. Yeah, keep it rolling…I’ve been coaching at the Warwick Boat Club. I had options in Philadelphia. Nothing was dead set. But I met the girl, she told me not to, so I didn’t. I do what I’m told.”
Willis saved 19 of 20 break points and kept Berankis off balance with his big serving, unorthodox slices and strong net-rushing game.
The Brit on Wednesday will meet the No. 3-seeded Federer, who on Monday was not in top form, struggling to defeat Argentine Guido Pella 7-6(5), 7-6(3), 6-3.
“Obviously it’s an amazing dream come true,” Willis said of facing Federer. “I get to play on a stadium court. This is what I dreamed of when I was younger. I’m going to go out there and try to win the tennis match. I probably won’t. I might not. But I’m going to give everything, as I have the last seven matches.”
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic also had an up-and-down performance, blowing out British claycourter James Ward in the opening set before logging a 6-0, 7-6(3), 6-4 win.
“Nine games in a row, 6-0, 3-0. I thought it was just a matter of time when James would win his first game,” Djokovic said. “I knew that the reaction of the crowd, and his own reaction, will be the way it was. As a home player, he enjoyed a lot of support today, especially when he won his first game. That’s when the energy kind of shifted on his side.”
Also into the second round among Top 10 players were N0. 5 seed Kei Nishikori taming the serve of Aussie Samuel Groth 6-4, 6-3, 7-5, No. 6 Milos Raonic serving off Spain’s Pablo Carreno 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-4, and No. 9 Marin Cilic beating Brian Baker 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
Other seeded winners Monday were No. 11 David Goffin, No. 13 David Ferrer, No. 16 Gilles Simon beating Janko Tipsarevic from a set down, No. 23 Ivo Karlovic stopping Borna Coric in straights, No. 27 Jack Sock straight-setting Ernests Gulbis, No. 28 Sam Querrey outlasting Lukas Rosol 12-10 in the fifth, and No. 30 Alexandr Dolgopolov.
There were four upset-makers on Monday as France’s Jeremy Chardy beat No. 17 seed and compatriot Gael Monfils in five 6-7(4), 6-0, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 and Pierre-Hugues Herbert ousted No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin surprised No. 20 Kevin Anderson in five 4-6, 6-7(13), 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-3; and Russian Andrey Kuznetsov upset No. 29 Pablo Cuevas in five 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Notable unseeded winners were French grass cultivator Nicolas Mahut who will next face No. 13 Ferrer, American Steve Johnson who will next meet Chardy, and Grigor Dimitrov who will square off against No. 16 Simon.
Unfinished on Monday was Santiago Giraldo and Gilles Muller tied at 11-11 in the fifth set when the match was called for darkness.
Matches to look for on Tuesday at the All England Club include (2) Andy Murray vs. Liam Broady in an all-Brit, (4) Stan Wawrinka vs. Taylor Fritz, (15) Nick Kyrgios vs. Radek “The Worm” Stepanek, (19) Bernard “The Tank Engine” Tomic vs. Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco, and (18) John Isner vs. Marcos Baghdatis.
TUESDAY WIMLBEDON SCHEDULE
CENTRE COURT – 1:00PM
1. Serena Williams (USA) [1] v Amra Sadikovic (SUI)
2. Liam Broady (GBR) v Andy Murray (GBR) [2]
3. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [13]
NO.1 COURT – 1:00PM
1. Taylor Fritz (USA) v Stan Wawrinka (SUI) [4]
2. Monica Puig (PUR) v Johanna Konta (GBR) [16]
3. Petra Kvitova (CZE) [10] v Sorana Cirstea (ROU)
NO.2 COURT – 11:30AM
1. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) [15] v Radek Stepanek (CZE)
2. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Bernard Tomic (AUS) [19]
3. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [3] v Kateryna Kozlova (UKR)
4. Heather Watson (GBR) v Annika Beck (GER)
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