Fairytale wins for British players here generally happen only in films but on Monday Marcus Willis, a 25-year-old qualifier from Slough and ranked 772 in the world, who was ready to quit tennis before he met the perfect girl, produced a storyline straight out of Hollywood.
The left-hander, once teased for his weight, once warned about his conduct by the LTA when he was a teenager, stunned Ricardas Berankis, of Lithuania, the world No54, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to earn by far the biggest cheque of his career and set up a meeting with Roger Federer.
“This is a bit scary,” Willis said as he walked into the press conference room shortly after a win that guarantees him at least £50,000. “It has all got a bit out of hand. Goran [Ivanisevic, the champion in 2001] just came and shook my hand and he is my hero.”
In February Willis had been considering moving to the United States to coach when he met his now girlfriend, Jennifer Bate, a dentist. Bate told him he was an idiot to give up and, having scrambled into pre-qualifying as the last man in the draw, he promptly won three matches to reach the main qualifying event, then another three to qualify for the main draw of a grand slam for the first time.
“I had the option of going to Philadelphia,” Willis said. “I’m not sure I would have gone but I had the option. Then I met the girl, she told me not to, so I didn’t. I did what I was told.”
The crowd crammed into and around Court 17 sang, chanted and roared throughout as Willis upset Berankis with a brilliant performance, much to the delight of his friends who sang “Will Bomb’s on fire, Berankis is terrified” from start to finish.
Once teased with the nickname of Cartman, from South Park, because he was overweight, Willis was bouncing around, celebrating every big point won. But it was his playing style – a fine left-handed serve, crisp volleys and wicked slice and changes of pace – that kept Berankis guessing. Having broken in the first game on a Berankis double-fault, he took the first set and led by a break in the second only for the Lithuanian to break back for 3-3. Another break sealed the set, though, and he broke for 3-2 in the third, digging deep as he served out for victory in a match in which he saved 19 of 20 break points.
Until Monday his career earnings stood at $95,129 and his 2016 earnings were $356 (£269 and falling quickly). He will now take on Federer, surely on Centre Court.
“I get to play on a stadium court. This is what I dreamed of when I was younger,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and try to win the match. I probably won’t – but I’m going to give everything, as I have the last seven matches.”
A promising junior, Willis was once sent home from the Australian Open for a poor attitude and minor misbehaviour, the last straw coming when he missed a bus to practice and arrived without his racquiets. “I thought I’d be OK,” he said. “I didn’t realise how much hard work would have to be put in. I just learned that in the last years.
“When I was a junior, I was talented. I was bigged up a lot. Then I got dropped in the real world, played Futures in Romania, losing. I lost a lot of confidence, made some bad decisions, went out too much, lifestyle wasn’t good. I didn’t have the drive. I found it three years ago. I worked very hard with my coach, Matt Smith, in Surbiton. Ridiculous times in the morning, ran myself into the ground. But it’s worth it now.”
Federer booked his place in round two with a 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 win over Guido Pella, of Argentina, pronouncing himself satisfied, having missed the French Open because of a back injury, and said he was being fascinated by Willis.
“I was very intrigued about his story,” Federer said. “That’s exactly what our sport needs sometimes – someone coming out of nowhere. It’s a huge moment for him and for me it’s big too, so I am really looking forward to it. But his story is unbelievable.”
Andy Murray was immediately on Twitter with congratulations and Willis said he knew what was required to play at this level all the time. “I want to be a top 100 player. I want this week in and week out. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and I’ve got a lot of improving to do as well.”
Willis lives with his parents in Wokingham – “I’m living the dream” – works as a coach in Warwick and has been checking out of his hotel every morning. The £50,000 should help him but Willis, who said he had not seen the film Wimbledon, which so closely mimics his story, said his head was “still in the game”.
“He’s just a bit better than me,” he said of Federer. “He’s a complete player. He’s a legend of the game. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. But I’ve got to go out and try to beat him. That has to go out the window.”
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