British No. 4 Dan Evans has secured his place in the third round of Wimbledon after defeating Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets. Federer is looking for a record eighth Wimbledon title, while Djokovic is on course for a calendar-year Grand Slam – a feat that has not been done since Rod Laver in 1969.
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Marcus Willis (R) poses with Roger Federer (L) at the start of their men’s singles second round match at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships.
“I was extremely pleased with how I played”.
“I felt like it just sort of all went into one, it flowed pretty well”, said Evans.
“It s always a pleasure playing against the local guys in this tournament especially. I can say I lobbed Roger Federer”.
Since being beaten by Tim Henman in the quarter-finals 15 years ago, Federer has now dropped only one set in six matches against Britons at the citadel of grasscourt tennis.
Thiem wrapped things up on his first match point when Mayer hit a service return long, the Austrian having benefited earlier in the game from a service ace that Hawkeye showed had just clipped the centre line. I struggled reading it really and at the net he was very solid.
And Federer – who let Willis walk onto court first and even left at the end of the match to let his opponent relish in the cheers of his supporters – said what an “unbelievable energy” Marcus brought to Centre Court with his play, the fans and his enthusiasm.
On paper it was the ultimate mismatch, a player competing in just his second tour-level match against someone who has won more than 1,000 of them.
“I have to be very grateful to have the opportunity to make the history of the sport”, said the world number one. “It was hard to keep letting those guys down, seeing them disappointed in what I’d been doing”.
“I might play if I’m feeling okay, but I haven’t thought about that just now. But that’s why I’m here, I haven’t been doing stuff like that”, he said.
The gulf was summed up by the fact Willis was wearing a shirt with Federer’s logo on that he bought for last year’s Wimbledon only to not even make qualifying.
“I’ve earned myself a beer now!” he further added.
He still seems like the same person I first met. “I had to get used to it and play”. Now, the 25-year-old – who wooed Wimbledon and beyond this past week with his romantic storyline of love and loss of bitter ways and better days – wants the real deal.
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Knee surgery in February kept him out for two months and he then missed a grand slam for the first time since 1999 when back problems forced him to sit out the French Open.
