Marcus Willis’ improbable run into the second round here at Wimbledon is dominating both the British and international media.
With a back story that reads like a Hollywood script, it’s not surprising most papers are focusing on the role Willis’ girlfriend played in his decision not to give up on the sport.
“From ‘overweight loser’ to Wimbledon victory: Britain’s Marcus Willis celebrates first-round triumph with girlfriend who almost missed the match,” headlines Britain's Daily Telegraph.
“How love saved a tennis career,” writes Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, while Switzerland’s Blick likens his story to a fairytale: “This dream woman kissed the frog Willis awake.”
The New York Times also leads on Willis before focusing on his next opponent: Roger Federer.
“Unless there is another slip near a bathtub from Federer, it is exceedingly difficult to see the crafty, left-handed Willis extending his run into the third round,” it predicted.
Last week’s Brexit referendum has been a big talking point at Wimbledon and with the pound at a 31-year low against the U.S. dollar yesterday, American financial news broadcaster CNBC has worked out that the £2 million winner’s cheque has been cut by $360,000.
Kiki Bertens’ convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko is the main story in most Dutch newspapers.
“I’m totally fit and ready to play,” De Volkskrant quoted Bertens as saying. The 26th-seeded player entered Wimbledon without any official matches on grass after sustaining a calf injury at Roland Garros.
The Times of India reveals Milos Raonic approached Richard Krajicek first before he ended up working with John McEnroe during the grass-court season.
Krajicek tells the Times he’d worked with the former Wimbledon semi-finalist for a few days at the end of December. “Then we talked again a few weeks before the French Open about the grass-court season only,” the paper quoted Krajicek as saying. “But he (Milos) wanted only the lead up to Wimbledon while I wanted the whole grass-court season including Wimbledon so that didn’t work out either.”
In the end, Krajicek ended up working with former French Open winner Stan Wawrinka.
Gael Monfils, who lost in the first round to Jeremy Chardy in five sets, is the lead story in French sports newspaper L’Equipe. The Frenchman, who had a strong start to the season, tells the paper he’s still struggling with the physical and emotional aftermath of a viral illness that kept him out of Roland Garros.
“I feel drained,” Monfils said. “I ran out of steam quickly.”
