Roger Federer predictably outclassed Marcus Willis to reach round three at Wimbledon, but the British underdog was nevertheless able to enjoy his unexpected day in the spotlight.
ADVERTISEMENT
Federer makes light work of Wimbledon underdog Willis
Marcus Willis raised plenty of cheers on Centre Court, but Roger Federer was never in danger of falling victim to a huge upset at Wimbledon.
___5209718___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5209718___2016___6___30___0___roger-federer-marcus-willis-cropped_hzpepb84ngx71k7wyamm1oewb_2
Wednesday's meeting on Centre Court represented one of the greatest mis-matches in grand-slam history, as 17-time grand-slam champion Federer - seeking his eighth crown at the All England Club - faced a player ranked 772nd in the ATP rankings.
And although Federer triumphed with ease, completing a 6-0 6-3 6-4 win in an hour and 24 minutes, there were plenty of highlights for Willis and a partisan crowd to savour, the British number 23 exhibiting flashes of brilliance against his illustrious rival.
Willis had come through six qualifying matches before shocking Ricardas Berankis in the first round on Monday and appeared intent on enjoying his dream meeting with Federer from the outset.
ADVERTISEMENT
While the home favourite was unable to win a game in the opening set, he did raise cheers with a host of impressive strokes - the arguable highlight a backhand lob in the third game that rounded off a fine rally.
Having initially been restricted to celebrating individual points, the flamboyant Willis proved increasingly competitive as the match wore on, thanks largely to some impressive serving.
Federer had to be content with a solitary break in set two and was forced to recover from 30-40 when trailing 3-2 in the third, either side of consecutive love holds from his opponent.
However, the third seed soon reasserted his control as the stunning run of Willis, who will earn £50,000 for his efforts at Wimbledon, came to an end amid warm applause.
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
ADVERTISEMENT
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
ACES
BREAK POINTS WON
FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE
PERCENTAGE POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE
ADVERTISEMENT
TOTAL POINTS
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
Recommended articles
How to save a life by doing CPR during an emergency
3 reasons most airplanes are painted white
How 1 woman became first lady of 2 different countries — she married 2 presidents
How parents, teachers can recognise when a child is being bullied
It's illegal to publicly celebrate your birthday in this country
Players copying my goal celebration will have to start paying taxes – Kudus
Research on Mary and Joseph's union - Ga Wulomo defends marriage of 12-year-old girl
Ghana needs to elect a Christian leader in the 2024 elections – Alan Kyeremanten