Masters champion Danny Willett apparently jetted into Wimbledon via helicopter as he joined other golfing stars for a day out at the Championships.

Willett, who in April became only the second Englishman to win the Masters, posted a photograph on Twitter of himself and wife Nicole stood in a field ready for take-off on Monday morning, saying: "Wimbledon bound! Shouldn't be any traffic en route!".

Just hours later they were in the Royal Box on Centre Court - a welcome break from the golf course, where the world number 9 has missed the cut in two tournaments in the last two weeks.

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Willett was set to join fellow golfers Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald and Chris Wood at SW19 - as well as golfing great Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara.

They were in for a bumper day of play on Centre Court, with Roger Federer and Serena Williams both in action ahead of Andy Murray's clash with Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Other guests expected in the Royal Box included comedian Michael McIntyre, Olympic rowers Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent, rugby world cup winners Matt Dawson and Jason Leonard, and BBC news presenter Fiona Bruce.

READ MORE: Australia Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt praises Nick Kyrgios ahead of Australian's clash with Scot Andy Murray

England rugby stars Ben Youngs, Mike Brown, George Ford and Elliot Daly were also set to be guests on Centre Court, fresh - or perhaps not - from their recent Grand Slam exploits and three-nil drubbing of Australia down under.

Murray is favourite to win this year's gentlemen's singles title after the shock exit of Novak Djokovic at the hands of Sam Querrey in the third round.

But he will have to get past the big-hitting Kyrgios, whose thundering serve could prove extremely tricky.

The 21-year-old is confident of causing an upset, suggesting "I definitely have the tools to beat Andy".

READ MORE: Australia Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt praises Nick Kyrgios ahead of Australian's clash with Scot Andy Murray

Federer was first up on Centre Court, taking on the unseeded American Steve Johnson, the doubles partner of Djokovic's nemesis Querrey.

Later Williams takes on Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, while her sister Venus faces Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro on Court 1.

But there was heartbreak in the girls' singles when British hope Katie Swan was forced to retire from her first-round match against Mariam Bolkvadze after apparently turning an ankle at the end of the first set.