Former Sky Sports and BBC tennis commentator Gerald Williams dies

Former Sky Sports and BBC tennis commentator Gerald Williams has died at the age of 86.

Williams was a key part of the BBC's Wimbledon coverage for many years and also provided updates from the tournament for Sky Sports in the latter stages of his career.

After a childhood split between Surrey and Carmarthenshire Williams began his reporting career with the Croydon Advertiser, where he was later sports editor, also working for the Leicester Mercury and the South Wales Echo.

From there he joined the Daily Mail as a sub-editor and inherited the newspaper's Manchester football beat when regular correspondent Eric Thompson was killed in the Munich Air Disaster of 1958.

"I was asked to go up to Manchester and report on the rebirth of the Busby Babes," he said in an interview with the Carmarthen Journal in 2011.

"It was a strange feeling for a young man from London to be sitting in the press box at Old Trafford with the new Busby Babes.

"Half the football team had been wiped out but there was almost a spirituality about it."

A year later, Williams returned to Fleet Street as a tennis reporter and eventually made the move to the commentary box at Wimbledon, where he formed a fondly-remembered on-screen partnership with Des Lynam on the BBC's coverage.

He then moved to Sky Sports where he commentated and provided expert analysis on the tennis coverage.

He loved what he did and he loved tennis

After giving up commentary due to fading eyesight, Williams reflected on his TV career and said: "I've seen many great players but I would say that Pete Sampras is the best I've seen." 

He also said Roger Federer was "the most perfect player I have ever seen".

Sky Sports tennis expert Barry Cowan paid tribute to his former work colleague, having got to know him when starting as a young player and then later when working together on Sky Sports' tennis coverage.

Cowan told Sky Sports News HQ: "It's very sad news. Gerry was a wonderful man. He lived for tennis and he was such a nice guy.

"He was great for me - when I was playing and he was terrific when I moved into commentary. He was happy to give time with his advice.

"He was so knowledgeable and just a great commentator. When he moved to Sky, he brought his knowledge and passion when he was working for Sky for many a year. He loved what he did and he loved tennis."