GAME,SET AND NAP
Marcus off to a flier in fresh bid to be SW19 cult hero.. but baby daughter Martha sleeps right through it
PRAM raider Marcus Willis launched his latest Wimbledon rampage with 14-week-old baby daughter Martha on court – and she slept right through it.
Willis, who became a cult hero among the strawberry fields of SW19 after winning seven matches to reach the second round ranked No.772 in the world last year, is two matches away from the main draw again.
The ‘Willbomb’, now up to No.387 in the charts, beat Slovakia’s Andrej Martin – ranked 241 places above him – 7-5 7-5 in the first qualifying round at the Bank Of England Club in Roehampton to set up a battle of Britain against Liam Broady today.
Willis had the effrontery to lob Roger Federer on Centre Court before the seven-times champion ended his run last year, but even the Fed Express isn’t as cute as the Brit left-hander’s pride and joy.
Baby Martha didn’t make a sound as she enjoyed an afternoon nap, with mum Jennifer (right) rocking the pram, in the 73 minutes it took her dad to dispose of Martin. Willis, 26, said: “Martha stares at people, smiles and eats – my life is so much better now I’m married and have a kid.
“It’s great to be back at the qualifiers – so far, so good. I don’t know what it is about playing in this tournament that brings out the best in me, but I like playing on grass and I like playing in front of my home crowd.
“After what I did here last time, it could be disappointing if I don’t do as well. But I’m not putting any pressure on myself.
“I’ve played Liam several times in the past – I’ve won a few and lost a few.
“I know what he’s going to bring and he knows what I’m going to bring so it will be a chess match.
“I was disappointed not to get a wild card into the main draw after last year, but I’m determined to get through again. “This time next year, I would like to be in the top 200. I have proved I can beat players in that bracket, as I did today, but now I’ve got to do it consistently and I’ll have the chance to do it every week.” In previous years, you could walk in off the street to watch Wimbledon qualifiers, but now it’s just another bagsearch and there is even a giant screen on one of the cricket pitches with deckchairs for those who fancy a warm-up for Henman Hill on the flat. But it will be no picnic for Willis against Broady, who went down in straight sets to Andy Murray in the first round at Wimbledon last year. Broady said: “It’s never nice playing a friend and a lot of people will be rooting for Marcus. He’s a lovable guy and he’s fantastic to watch as well – his game is ideally suited to grass.”