Great Britain's Marcus Willis celebrates with friends after winning his match against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis.
World
number 772 Marcus Willis proved the unlikeliest of home Wimbledon
heroes on Monday, sealing a fairytale 6-3 6-3 6-4 victory over Ricardas
Berankis, ranked more than 700 places up above him.
Cheered on by a packed and rowdy crowd desperate for a British win on
day one at the tournament, the Briton showed all the guts and guile he
needed to get through two rounds of qualifying, as well as the coaching
he does to pay the bills.
Just winning the first-round match has guaranteed 25-year-old Willis
50,000 pounds ($66,000), so it was no surprise he fist-pumped and
saluted every winner against the world number 54 from Lithuania like he
was lifting the trophy on the final Sunday.
He saved five break points in the eighth game of the final set before
serving it out and he was greeted by near delirium on Court 17 before
being swallowed up by the hugs of friends and family as he leant over
the barriers.
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