Former coach praises Billy Harris Wimbledon debut

Tennis player Billy Harris can take away "such a lot of confidence, knowledge and experience" from his Wimbledon debut, his former coach has said.

The 29-year-old played his first match at the championships in the men's singles after being given a wild card, going on to competed in the men's doubles as well.

Ian Watson, who coached Harris as a child on the Isle of Man, said it was "fantastic" to "experience it with him" by watching him play at the tournament.

Despite being knocked out in the first round, Mr Watson said his performances had "proven he can perform at this level and compete with top players in the world".

Mr Watson said "all the signs were there" when he coached Harris for five years from the age of eight and he "just loved being on court".

"He was one of those players that wouldn’t give up he would keep trying right to the end, win or lose," he said.

The tennis coach said he was "very proud of Billy", especially for overcoming the challenges of living on and island and "going on to do so well".

"The Isle of Man punches above its weight for sport, but once you get into high-performance the travelling, the costs and dedication needed makes it far more difficult compared to UK competitors where travel links are easier," he said.

Harris had spent the start of his professional career driving to tournaments in a transit van to save money, but won his first match on the ATP Tour in November.

Mr Watson, who caught up with Harris at the tournament, said the 29-year-old had "been so excited by it all" and was "loving the experience at Wimbledon".

"He’s still Billy, he hasn’t changed, he's respectful, calm and works extremely hard," he said.

But the coach said he has enjoyed watching the players' confidence grow and recent performances had "given Billy that hope and that push to keep going and trying to do as well as he can".

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