It was a peculiar sight.
Marcus Willis and Roger Federer walked onto Centre Court amid great applause at Wimbledon — and it was the British qualifier who first saluted the crowd.
As popular as Willis has become and no matter if he was the first to emerge from the small corridor behind one side of tennis’ most revered stadium, the majority of fans were surely clapping for arguably the sport’s finest ever player.
Willis, however, is difficult to dislike and certainly meant no disrespect. He was simply soaking up what would probably be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence and set the tone for an afternoon and early evening of fun in Federer’s backyard.
“It was his moment,” Federer said. “I wanted him to have a great time.”
He might have wanted Willis to have a great time, but Federer was so in control that this second-round contest had the air of a glorified exhibition.
“It was all just a blur,” Willis told reporters. “It was amazing. I did enjoy myself even though I was (losing). I loved every bit of it. Not the (losing) bit. I loved getting stuck in, fighting hard. The whole experience was incredible.
“Not my standard Wednesday.”
Unorthodox style
Nicknamed “Cartman” due to his resemblance to the pudgy animated character from “South Park,” Willis has earned a cult following this week.
And no wonder given he secured a spot in the main draw of 128 after grinding his way through two qualifying tournaments and Monday becoming the lowest-ranked qualifier — at 772 — to win a round at a major in 28 years.
The 25-year-old almost quit tennis this year — persuaded to keep going by a new girlfriend — and lives at home because he couldn’t afford a place of his own.
If the Briton possesses a pleasing, unorthodox style, the result was never, ever in doubt, though Federer’s 6-0 6-3 6-4 victory under the roof still made for compelling viewing.
“He played some great points,” Federer told reporters. “He fought hard. Great personality for a centre court like this.
“It’s not easy for him as well to come out there and play a decent match. There’s a lot of pressure on him as well. I thought he handled it great.”
Willis breathed a sigh of relief when making his first, first serve deep into the warmup and the crowd erupted as the left-hander struck a lovely backhand lob in the third game.
Even Federer, the record seven-time Wimbledon champion, smiled.
When Willis claimed his first game in the second set, he stretched his arms in joy, his bandana toting mates approving in the stands. At times, football style chants — two days after England was humbled by Iceland at Euro 2016 — broke out.
With Willis unable to settle in the first set, the second and third sets were at least competitive. Federer registered the lone break of the third at 4-4, then completed the win when Willis’ backhand slice sailed long.
The two embraced at the net and Willis sat in his chair before walking near the set, almost in tears, to acknowledge his adoring backers. Federer didn’t interrupt.
Later Willis treated himself to a bottle of lager.
“It wasn’t a pint, it was a bottle,” he said. “Didn’t get my money’s worth there.”
“Golden story”
If he is still playing tennis in 12 months, Willis merits a wildcard at Wimbledon for the feel-good story he created and one that even Federer took note of on the eve of the year’s second major.
He perhaps set himself up for a nice living in public speaking or working in tennis broadcasting when his career eventually ends.
“This story is gold,” said Federer. “I hope the press respects his situation. It’s easy now to use it, chew it up and then throw it all away. He’s got a life and career after this.”
Federer’s Wimbledon continues, and away from all the fun and games Wednesday, he’ll be relieved to land in the third round.
After skipping the French Open to end a 16-year unblemished spell at majors as he recovered from a back injury, the 34-year-old was upset at grass-court warmups in Halle and Stuttgart this month.
His third-round foe could be another Brit, Dan Evans, if Willis’ buddy ousts 30th-seed Alexandr Dolgopolov. They were tied 6-6 when play was abandoned on outer courts because of rain at 7:35 p.m. local time.
The past two Wimbledon finals have seen Federer fall to Novak Djokovic but this year they were placed in the same half.
The dominant world No. 1, seeking a fifth straight grand slam title, moved on in a much more intense battle against birthday boy Adrian Mannarino 6-4 6-3 7-6 (5) for a record 30th consecutive men’s grand slam win in the Open Era.
“Every single record that I manage to achieve in the last couple of years is important and unique to me,” Djokovic told reporters.
“Every next one that I have the opportunity to achieve is (more) motivation. That’s how I look at it.”
Djokovic failed to serve out the affair to the crowd’s delight — they wanted more tennis — but steadied himself in the tiebreak.
Mannarino, though, can say that he hit the shot of the match, a drop shot with hefty sidespin that drew applause from the Serb.
Radwanska progresses
Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 finalist, began proceedings on Centre Court and dispatched Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova 6-2 6-1.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova crushed a potentially tricky foe in Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, 6-0 6-4 in the first round and the highest-ranked British woman in the draw, 16th seed Johanna Konta, completed a 6-1 7-5 first-round win over Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig.
A second straight day of rain means organizers now face a backlog of matches and competitors, when play did take place outdoors, had to endure chilly, blustery conditions.
And if Willis’ Wimbledon might be over, he’s stockpiled enough warm memories to last a lifetime.