British No.6 Billy Harris says “It’s like Christmas Day every day!” after following his first Wimbledon wildcard by reaching his first ATP Tour quarter-finals at Queen’s Club.
Before this week, the Nottingham Forest fan had earned £232,000 in a nine-year career where he spent over three years travelling around Europe playing small events in a converted Ford Transit van.
The Wimbledon wildcard he received on Wednesday is worth at least £60,000 just for a first-round defeat.
And on Thursday across London at the cinch Championships, Harris beat French world No. 67 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4 7-5 to reach the last eight – and earn £52,260. He will double that if he beats Lorenzo Musetti on Friday to reach the semi-finals.
“It’s like Christmas Day every day with the wildcards and Wimbledon news,” said Harris, 29. “Just very, very grateful and hoping to make the most of these opportunities. It will make a big difference
“I was playing the futures, I was going around in my transit van and stringing racquets in car parks and sleeping in fast-food car parks, attending different tennis clubs.
“I just put a bed in the back of a Transit van and started travelling around Europe to France, Spain and Belgium. Yeah, it’s all been a journey. Now it’s leading on to bigger things. I’m feeling good about how it’s all going.”
Harris, who was born in Nottingham and grew up on the Isle of Man, was handed a wildcard to Queen’s after runs to the semi-finals at the Surbiton and Nottingham Challengers.
And the 6ft 4ins star, with the even bigger serve, shocked world No.32 Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first round for only his second ATP tour level victory. He is still coached by his dad Geoff.
“I am not trying to do anything different,” Harris said. “Just starting to see the ball very well on the grass and I think that’s definitely helped and confidence has grown, as well.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk