THIS wasn't, as Marcus Willis conceded afterwards, his "standard Wednesday". It was exactly 5pm when the genial coach of the junior reds and ladies doubles team at Warwick Boat Club, bounded on to the most exclusive lawn in world sport, grinning like a Warwickshire cat.

Looking ever so slightly like an enthusiastic amateur who had chanced upon a golden ticket to play with one of his heroes, the World No 772 brazenly held a palm in the air, attempting to appear nonchalant. Here he was, a man who had looked himself in the mirror three years ago and described himself as the biggest loser in the world, gazing directly across the net and into the eyes of the sport's greatest ever winner. He would be walking off again after a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 defeat just 85 minutes later, but yesterday was evidence that, in the words of Nick Berry, every loser wins.

As it was, Willis' day ended as it began, with a touch of class from his legendary Swiss opponent. Having let Willis walk on first, as he thought that would be the 'cooler' experience, Federer broke with tradition again by declining to take his bow. He knew instinctively that the moment wasn't his. "I've earned myself a beer," said the Englishman, promptly enjoying it in the All England Club locker room. "Roger was a true gent, as he always is," said Willis, who is currently considering whether to appear in a Coventry league match on Thursday night.

They aren't half letting some riff raff on to Centre Court these days, mind you. That same exuberant posse of supporters who had coalesced behind Willis through three rounds of wild card play-offs, three rounds of qualifying and his first round win here against Ricardas Berankis had somehow made it to Centre Court too. Even his box was box office. As the start of the match approached all 19 occupants were on their feet, not least his long-suffering mum and dentist girlfriend Jenny Bate, all dancing away like demented Northern Ireland fans in a night club to a terracing chant 'The Will Bomb is on fire, Roger Federer is terrified'. Across the aisle, Mirka Federer drew them a look of disdain.

For the record, the greatest player in the history didn't appear even remotely concerned. But for all that he had regarded the entire affair pre-match as a "cool story", he was a man coming to terms with being upstaged in his own movie. Willis was even wearing his Nike RF clobber, bought at his own expense for Wimbledon last year. "As I was playing," said Federer. "I was thinking 'this is definitely one of the matches I'll remember, because I start forgetting some'."

This was the kind of theatre usually reserved for the West End or Vaudeville and even the knock-up was good knockabout stuff. Having had to be schooled through preliminaries like which way to look when getting his picture taken, Willis soon had the crowd in stitches, pumping both fists when he managed to hit the line with a practice serve after firing his first few nervously into the net.

The Willis game style has been described this week as "old school" and the 17-time Grand Slam winner, seven times a victor here, had never seen anything like it. A man who, prior to his epiphany, had been known to guzzle Coca Cola and confectionery at a change of ends was never going to have enough in the tank. But what a highlights DVD of this match he will be able to look back on in his dotage. This guy has gallusness, game and great touch for a big man.

How about the inch perfect lob at the end of a scintillating rally which obediently dropped in, setting up an improbable break back point in the third game? Or, having surrendered the first set to love in 25 minutes of the best entertainment which BBC early evening viewers will see all year, how about the sustained 20-second cheer which rang out around SW19 when he finally got his first game on the board? It rivalled the one Andy Murray received for winning the thing and soon this everyday hero was wagging an index finger at this untouchable Swiss legend with no sense of irony when he sent a passing shot past him or offering him an occasional thumbs up to say 'good shot, mate'.

Perhaps this was only to be expected for a man who used to shout 'Djokovic', 'Federer' or 'Nadal' depending upon whose shot he was trying to replicate at the time. Willis finished the match more strongly than he started it and when his day was through Centre Court rose to acclaim the loser. The only problem for a man with his life back on the straight and narrow may be the amount of invites to celebrity parties which will be coming through his letterbox in the next few months.