tennishead winner in the spotlight at The O2

 

Originally published on 14/11/14

Entrants were asked to describe a time when they did something that represented the true spirit of the game and Mark Ormston, 26, from Peterborough, won tickets courtesy of Barclays after describing how he raised nearly £3,000 for Sport Relief after a 24-hour tennis marathon in 2012.

“I only stopped for a break during change of ends,” explained Mark. “I played people in one or two hour slots. I got cramp in my hands but luckily not in my legs. It was good fun, but I’m not sure I would do it again!”

As well as winning tickets to the evening session to watch Roger Federer’s 6-0 6-1 victory over Andy Murray, Mark was also invited to be a guest on Holding Court Live, which is broadcast twice daily live from the fan zone at The O2.

After being quizzed by presenter Rob Curling on his story as he sat alongside Andy Murray’s former coach Miles Maclagan and former British player Arvind Parmar, Mark took his seat in the arena to watch the evening session, where he was quite literally in the spotlight.

“The moment I will remember forever is my moment in the spotlight at a change of ends in the second set of the Murray-Federer match,” said Mark. “The spotlight came down, I appeared on the big screen and my story was read out to The O2 and I received a round of applause for the amount raised for charity. To have 17,500 people clapping me was a once-in-a-lifetime moment that money cannot buy!”

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