bility to keep Chicago players away from the front | Forum
love520
Nov 30 '17
LONDON -- How much money might you be willing to pay for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play tennis against Roger Federer on Centre Court at Wimbledon?Or merely for the chance to emerge from the tunnel leading out to the green grass there and hear the full-throated yells of nearly 15,000 standing, clapping spectators pulling for you?Or, perhaps best of all, for the chance to look up at a guest box and see your parents, sister, brother and cousin leaping out of their seats, rejoicing, after you conjured up a beautifully curled lob that floated over the man considered by many to be the sports greatest player in history and landed in to win a 14-stroke exchange?Marcus Willis, who lives at home with Mom and Dad and works as a tennis instructor at a club in central England, got to experience all of that and more Wednesday, and it didnt cost the 25-year-old a dime. Nate Allen Jersey . Actually, Willis earned the biggest paycheck of his career despite winding up with the sort of result everyone expected when a guy ranked 772nd in the world somehow found himself across the net from the man who spent more weeks at No. 1 than anyone: a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 victory for Federer in the second round at the All England Club.I did look up twice as I bounced the ball, and saw Roger Federer, and thought, `Oh, havent seen this before, Willis said. Yeah, it was surreal. ... I had to get used to it and play.He earned the right to be out there against the 17-time Grand Slam champion thanks to an improbable, straight-from-a-screenplay couple of weeks that included victories in three matches during a playoff for low-ranked British players, three more in the qualifying rounds at Wimbledon, and then another Monday in his very first tour-level match.Its all been incredible and a bit of a blur, said Willis, a left-hander with a strong serve who slices shots off both wings. Ive gone from one extreme to the other in a matter of days.Willis, who charges about $40 per hour for lessons, truly became an overnight sensation. His girlfriend -- who, in keeping with the Hollywood nature of the whole episode, recently persuaded him not to give up on his dream of being a regular on the professional tour -- was interviewed on the BBC. So were his family members. His loud group of supporters, who led rowdy chants that reverberated under the closed roof at the generally staid venue, got the TV treatment, too.I said a few days ago: This story is gold, Federer said. Hes got a career after this. He definitely made the most of it.Federers career prize money is just shy of $100 million, and that doesnt include plenty from endorsement deals. Willis entered Wimbledon with about $350 this year and less than $100,000 for his career in prize money -- and, needless to say, zero endorsements. On Wednesday, Willis white shirt, which he bought about a year ago, was made by Federers apparel sponsor and had the gray initials RF etched on the left sleeve.On another rain-filled day that left a dozen men still unable to complete their first-round matches while No. 3 Federer and No. 1 Novak Djokovic moved into the third, Willis stepped out on court with a wave and the widest smile imaginable, shaking his head at the scene.He found other reasons to grin and revel in the moment. That shot in the third game that even Federer applauded and allowed Willis to boast with a chuckle later: I can say, `I lobbed Roger Federer. A 113 mph ace Willis celebrated with arms raised. A forehand winner that finally, a half-hour and more than a set in, gave Willis his first game -- and created pandemonium in the stands.More often, of course, things did not go his way. Willis, who leaves with a check for 50,000 pounds (about $67,000), would produce a genuinely impressive shot, only to see Federer top it, including with several no-look, over-the-shoulder volleys. Heres guessing that Willis opponents in local leagues do not wield a racket quite the way Federer can.You cant leave the ball anywhere short or high. Its just gone, Willis said. Hes just ridiculous.Willis, it turns out, made an impression on Federer, too.As I was playing, Federer said, I was thinking ... `This is definitely one of the matches Ill remember.Imagine, then, how Willis felt about the 1 hour, 25 minutes they spent together on the worlds most famous tennis court.Not my standard Wednesday, that, everymans everyman said at the end of it all. Next Wednesday might be quite different.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ;Dolphins Store . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Cordrea Tankersley Jersey . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. http:///...rdan-phillips-jersey . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved too much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night. ST. LOUIS -- The top two scorers in the NHL will be on the ice on Monday night when the Edmonton Oilers visit the St. Louis Blues.Connor McDavid leads the league with 39 points so far this season while the Blues Vladimir Tarasenko ranks second in the league with 37 points.McDavid did not officially add to his point total on Saturday night, even though he scored the shootout goal which gave the Oilers a 3-2 victory at home over the Tampa Bay Lightning.Tarasenko also was kept off the scoresheet on Saturday night for the first time in six games as the Blues could not hold four one-goal leads and lost 6-4 to the Chicago Blackhawks, only their second loss in regulation at home in 18 games this season. The Blues had earned at least one point in 14 consecutive home games, going 11-0-3.McDavid has 12 goals and 27 assists but is in the midst of a scoring lull. He has not had a goal in his last four games and has just one assist over that span. Tarasenko has 15 goals and 22 assists this season. Prior to Saturday night, he had picked up 10 points in his previous five games on two goals and eight assists.Scoring goals was not the problem for the Blues against the Blackhawks. It was their inability to keep Chicago players away from the front of the net, which putt them in position for three of their goals. T.J. McDonald Jersey. It is a problem they will need to fix if they want to rebound against McDavid and the Oilers.Our execution 5-on-5 is good enough to beat certain teams, but if we want to
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