Conor Nilands Wimbledon Thriller

Conor Niland became the first Irishman to qualify for the first round at Wimbledon since 1977.  The hope was that maybe he could match the exploits of the great Joshua Pim, who happens to be a two time Wimbledon Champion (albeit back in 1893 and 1894 in the amateur era) and two time runner up. 

The reality Conor and every Irish person around the world watching were facing was could he get through his first round match against Adrian Mannarino for a plum second round clash against tennis icon Roger Federer.

Conor Niland waves goodbye to his fans having been defeated

The seats on court 17 that day were decked in green white and orange, The Fields of Athenry even got an airing as Niland clawed his way back from 2 sets to 1 down to take a 4-1 lead in the fifth and final set.  Could Conor prevail with the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders??

Unfortunately three tough qualifying rounds and a five set thriller began to take its toll on Niland as Mannarino won five straight games to break the hearts of the vocal Irish crowd and deny Niland a chance to play on Centre Court against Federer.