Marcus Willis sent to Coventry after Centre Court date

Marcus Willis headed out of Wimbledon with Coventry his destination on Thursday as he prepared to swap Centre Court and Roger Federer for a local-league doubles match.

Willis' fairytale run came to an end on Wednesday as the world number 772 lost 6-0 6-3 6-4 to 17-time grand slam champion Federer, who has backed him to push for a top-50 ranking.

And despite struggling to sleep overnight as he replayed the contest in his head, Willis promised Warwick Boat Club team-mate Gavin Henderson he would line up in a Coventry League match barely 24 hours after embarking on the showdown of his life.

Roger Federer, left, has told Wimbledon wonder Marcus Willis, right, only practice makes perfect.

"Traffic permitting, I'll be there playing this evening as I promised," Willis said, as he prepared to leave Wimbledon.

"I've had some sleep but it's hectic here. I can't just sleep after that. It was the biggest day of my life yesterday."

Willis is a coach at his Midlands club, where Henderson is the tennis manager.

"I'm sure he completely understands if I wasn't going to come, but I'm going to try to make it," Willis said.

Warwick are due to play Coventry and North Warwickshire Tennis Club, a far cry from the match that had a nation hooked on Wednesday when Willis took on the seven-time Wimbledon winner.

After coming through six qualifying matches to reach round one, and then beating world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, Willis will pocket £50,000 for his Wimbledon efforts, and the memories that stopped him sleeping.

"(I was) just replaying the match to myself and the whole experience, and I'll be doing that for the next week or so, it's just amazing, very emotional for me," Willis said on Radio Wimbledon.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, I'm never going to come through pre-qualies, qualifying and play Roger Federer on Centre under the roof with screaming fans everywhere. It was just amazing.

"I enjoy my tennis, whether I'm playing on Centre Court or my back garden. But that was just incredible. I'm disappointed with the result. In the first set I was in a lot of games I just didn't get on the board, and I played one bad game in the third set and he punishes you - he's class.

"At the net he said 'Keep going, this is where you belong, keep sticking at it, top 50 tennis'.