What years were you a Ball Boy? 1953 was the year I was at Wimbledon. What courts did you look after, what age were you? I was mainly centre court and also did a spell on number 1 court and a couple of outside courts. Did you enjoy the task and why? I thoroughly enjoyed every minute, except for the heat. The clothes we were made to wear were not the best and you really sweated. Did anything unusual/funny happen whilst you were on court? The Australian player Mervin Rose threw a ball to me and put so much spin on it that I fell over trying to catch it, much to the amusement of the crowd and embarrassment to me Which player did you most enjoy meeting and why? Too difficult to name names, as all the players were so very nice to us ball boys Who is your favourite tennis player today? My favourite player would have to be Roger Federer. He seems able to get to virtually every unplayable shot with ease. Do you play tennis now and if so do you belong to a club? I play tennis at Ivybridge Tennis club at least 3 times weekly and I also am a member at 2 clubs in Cape Town and play some league matches there. Would you like to add any further information? As I am now 71 years of age and have Prostate cancer. I suppose my best tennis days are behind me, but I still try my hardest for every shot. From: Alec "whizz" Willson |
