Stunt rider Macaskill blazes a trail on Wimbledon courts with Henman’s help
● Mercury rises in SW19 as Skye man releases new video
He has performed perilous stunts on mountain ridges, train tracks, and craggy coastlines, but for his latest showpiece, the Scottish trials rider, Danny Macaskill, has chosen an altogether more genteel location.
The 31-year-old has teamed up with some famous names from the world of tennis for a series of tricks on the green lawns of Wimbledon.
The daredevil cyclist, who shot to fame after a friend published a video online of him performing his seemingly impossible stunts, has teamed up with Tim Henman, the former British number one, and Goran Ivanišević, a onetime Wimbledon champion, for his latest feature.
A series of videos and pictures, released yesterday, show the Skye-born stunt rider leaping over Henman as he and Ivanišević contest a match at the All England Club.
The stunt sequence, sponsored by a leading high street bank, also features Judy Murray as she reunites with Anton Du Beke, her former partner on Strictly Come Dancing.
One image shows Macaskill cycling across the net whilst Henman, a four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, waits to return the ball in a rally with Ivanišević.
Macaskill, from Skye, joked that his role at SW19 was part “umpiring” and part “getting in the way”. The experience, he added, made for “an awesome time.”
Although the full video of Macaskill’s exploits in SW19 has yet to be released, a 30 second preview shows him cycling around the court, at one point balancing on top of the umpire’s chair, ready to jump on to the top of the net.
It comes as the third day of Wimbledon proved eventful both on and off the courts, as temperatures soared to 31C.
Two women fainted while watching the match between Juan Martin Del Potro and Ernests Gulbis in the scorching heat. Play was suspended for around 20 minutes while St John Ambulance staff removed them from the stands for treatment.
Elsewhere, the Luxembourg player, Mandy Minella, who is four-and-a-half months pregnant, was defeated in the women’s doubles competition alongside her partner, Anastasija Sevast. The 31-yearold, who was pictured with her husband, Tim, kissing her bump on court, vowed to return next year.
Off the court, meanwhile, the Australian player Bernard Tomic was dumped by his racket sponsors, Head, just hours after he was fined more than £10,000 following his outspoken press conference on Tuesday. The 24-yearold, who was beaten in straight sets by Mischa Zverev, claimed he was “bored” during the match, and admitted calling for the trainer, even though he was not injured.
American Bethanie Mattek-sands suffered a sickening injury and had to be taken from court on a stretcher. The 32-year-old’s knee appeared to buckle as she slipped during her match with Romani- an Sorana Cirstea on Court 17. In obvious distress, Matteksands screamed “Help me” as she lay on the turf in front of horrified spectators.
Andy Murray, preparing for today’s match against Italy’s Fabio Fognini, posted a photograph on Instagram of a fan’s prosthetic leg he and Rafael Nadal had autographed.
“Signed a few things over the years,” the world number one wrote. “This was definitely a first.”
“Signed a few things over the years. This was definitely a first”
ANDY MURRAY After signing a fan’s prosthetic leg