Marcus Willis’ 85 minutes of fame were grander than most. On Centre Court at Wimbledon. Opposite Roger Federer. Princess Kate and Mirka may not have deigned to attend yesterday’s second-round match with 3,000-to-1 odds in favor of the Swiss Maestro, but Willis’ bouncy blonde sister and dental surgeon girlfriend rose to their feet and screamed in joy for every ace and drop shot winner the #772 ranked player, who had recently lost 55 pounds and sported last year’s R.F. polo, managed to execute. So, too, did every soft, white club player who ever dreamed of a chance at the majors, much to commentator John McEnroe’s chagrin.
There may be no grass courts in Dallas, but there is a group making tennis dreams come true for local kids who otherwise wouldn’t have access to a racket or a court. The Dallas Tennis and Education Academy offers free camps and clinics for eager and aspiring kids, some of whom go on to tennis scholarships and all of whom learn a thing or two about footwork and teamwork. One of their coaches is my tennis teammate, Carol Reed. Another is my friend, Bert Cole. They both made it on the big screen yesterday, too. I stood up and cheered.
[d-embed id=”embed_2″]
