TENNIS/Wimbledon Championship:Tim Henman poked his head out from the corner of the court and took his first few steps across the grass like a polar bear that had just broken through the snow after a winter of hibernation. Day four and just one match completed; Henman's Wimbledon had been unravelling in fits and starts and plenty of down time staring out locker-room windows.
Yesterday the unravelling was brought to an end by the enigmatic Feliciano Lopez in five sets, Henman hauling himself back into the match from two sets and a service break down before Lopez snatched it at the tape 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 2-6, 6-1.
Henman's first match, against Carlos Moya, began on Monday and finished on Tuesday. His second match, against Lopez, began on Wednesday and finished on Thursday.
Like Tony Blair's leaving of office, Henman's long goodbye this week has been more eye-catching than much of his last few months. Like Blair, he will soon move aside for an emergent Scot to take his place as the prime player in Britain's Centre Court.
In truth many of the issues surrounding the four-time semi-finalist have been that his charisma is more John Major than Tony Blair. But in the absence of the injured Andy Murray, the 32-year-old Henman has had to shoulder alone the burden of the hopes of 13,000 unrealistic fans.
Henman lost the first two sets on tie-breaks, which put Lopez on track for a straight-sets victory.
While the Englishman had taken a 3-1 lead in the first of them, he lost the next six points for the Spaniard to claim the opening set.
The second set ticked over in the same way and another tiebreak resolved it, Lopez this time winning the first five points in that and never looking back.
From there Lopez, ranked 78 in the world to Henman's 74, did what has bedevilled his game for years and faded utterly out of the match. He is known for finding ways to lose matches of which he seems in control, and history seemed to be repeating itself as Henman scrambled sets three and four to draw level.
As the sun washed over Centre Court the dreams of Henman Hill still had a heartbeat.
But when Lopez arrived back from a toilet break - Henman alone on his chair contemplating the endgame - he took to the court as the player who had started the match and not the one who had just lost two sets.
He went on to take Henman's serve twice and hold his own, finally serving out for the match 6-1 as his opponent crumbled.
As Henman left there were mixed emotions, which went along the lines, "Moya match good, Lopez match bad."
On leaving the draw as the last Briton standing, Henman also could not help take a few well-aimed shots at his compatriots.
"I think for years we've been far too accepting of mediocrity," said Henman with the conviction of a born-again preacher.
"You look at some of the players and they need a bit of a wake-up call to realise the level of play. I think their expectations from the LTA are too high.
"The players' view is that they are entitled to have their coaches paid for, their coaches' salaries, their coaches' expenses paid for when they travel. That's not a reality. There's a lot of players I don't think warrant that. We have got to be a little bit more ruthless and wipe the slate clean.
"There's talk about wild cards and they're a good example. Wildcards are a fantastic opportunity. But if you are any good you don't need wild cards.
"You get one at 17, 18. But if you're any good, in a couple of years you should be looking to get into these events on ranking."
How true. Roger Federer never needed a wild card, and he was another player who had to come back yesterday to complete a match from the day before.
But against Argentina's Juan del Potro the champion delayed little. Leading by two sets, and a break up in the third, the number one finished off his opponent before Henman and Lopez had even reached their first tie-break.
The final score of 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 took just over an hour and a half in the compiling, the third set lasting just 20 minutes.
Federer obviously set the trend for the other top seeds.
Lleyton Hewitt needed just three sets to beat Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. Rafael Nadal was a 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 winner over Werner Eschauer. James Blake, seeded nine, advanced 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 against Andrei Pavel.
Novak Djokovic, the Serbian fourth seed, took four sets to dispose of Amer Delic of the US.
Djokovic dropped the second set 3-6, having won the first 6-3.
But he regrouped, taking the third, also 6-3, and the fourth 7-6 (4) for the match.
MEN'S SINGLES
Second round (prefix number denotes seedings):(22) G Canas (Arg) bt M Mirnyi (Blr) 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4), (15) I Ljubicic (Cro) bt J Hernych (Cze) 6-4 6-3 6-4, (9) J Blake (USA) bt A Pavel (Rom) 6-4 6-3 6-3, (7) T Berdych (Cze) bt M Llodra (Fra) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 7-6 (7-4), (10) M Baghdatis (Cyp) bt N Devilder (Fra) 6-0 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 6-2, (4) N Djokovic (Ser) bt A Delic (USA) 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4), (21) D Tursunov (Rus) bt M Berrer (Ger) 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4, (1) R Federer (Swi) bt JM Del Potro (Arg) 6-2 7-5 6-1, (20) JC Ferrero (Spa) bt G Muller (Lux) 6-4 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (10-8), (28) R Soderling (Swe) bt S Grosjean (Fra) 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2, (18) J Nieminen (Fin) bt F Mayer (Ger) 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 2-6 6-3, P-H Mathieu (Fra) bt (17) D Ferrer (Spa) 6-3 6-4 6-3, (23) D Nalbandian (Arg) bt F Dancevic (Can) 6-2 6-3 5-7 6-3, J-W Tsonga (Fra) bt N Lapentti (Ecu) 6-4 6-2 6-3, G Monfils (Fra) bt K Vliegen (Bel) 7-5 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1), H Taik Lee (Kor) bt (29) A Calleri (Arg) 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-3, W Arthurs (Aus) bt (11) T Robredo (Spa) 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, (19) J Bjorkman (Swe) bt Yeu-Tzuoo Wang (Tpe) 6-0 6-3 6-7 (8-10) 6-4, (16) L Hewitt (Aus) bt S Bolelli (Ita) 6-2 6-2 6-1, (14) M Youzhny (Rus) bt G Simon (Fra) 6-4 4-6 3-6 7-5 6-4, E Roger-Vasselin (Fra) bt (24) J I Chela (Arg) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 7-5, (26) M Safin (Rus) bt Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureschi (Pak) 6-4 6-2 7-6 (7-4), (2) R Nadal (Spa) bt W Eschauer (Aut) 6-2 6-4 6-1, (6) N Davydenko (Rus) bt C Guccione (Aus) 3-6 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-2, F Lopez (Spa) bt T Henman (Gbr) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 2-6 6-1, N Kiefer (Ger) bt F Santoro (Fra) 6-4 6-3 6-4, (13) T Haas (Ger) bt T Zib (Cze) 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Second round:(2) M Sharapova (Rus) bt S Bremond (Fra) 6-0 6-3, V Azarenka (Blr) bt (21) T Garbin (Ita) 6-1 6-3, (11) N Petrova (Rus) bt S Mirza (Ind) 6-2 6-2, (26) Ai Sugiyama (Jpn) bt A Cornet (Fra) 4-6 6-0 6-3, T Paszek (Aut) bt (17) T Golovin (Fra) 6-2 3-6 6-1, (23) V Williams (USA) bt H Sromova (Cze) 6-2 6-2, (4) A Mauresmo (Fra) bt Y Meusburger (Aut) 6-1 6-2, (6) A Ivanovic (Ser) bt M Tu (USA) 6-4 6-3, (12) E Dementieva (Rus) bt I Benesova (Cze) 6-2 6-2, (5) S Kuznetsova (Rus) bt B Mattek (USA) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4, (14) N Vaidisova (Cze) bt N Pratt (Aus) 6-3 6-2, (22) V Ruano Pascual (Spa) bt T Perebiynis (Ukr) 7-5 6-2, (10) D Hantuchova (Svk) bt Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) 7-5 7-6 (7-3), (28) M Santangelo (Ita) bt C Wozniacki (Den) 6-0 7-6 (7-4), A Radwanska (Pol) bt (32) M Muller (Ger) 6-1 4-0 ret, (31) M Krajicek (Ned) bt K O'Brien (Brit) 6-0 6-1, (19) K Srebotnik (Slo) bt N Ozegovic (Cro) 6-1 6-1, A Rezai (Fra) bt (29) F Schiavone (Ita) 6-4 2-6 6-4, A Morigami (Jpn) bt (13) D Safina (Rus) 6-4 7-5, (15) P Schnyder (Swi) bt R Vinci (Ita) 2-6 6-3 6-2, (8) A Chakvetadze (Rus) bt T Poutchek (Blr) 6-2 6-1, (25) L Safarova (Cze) bt E Daniilidou (Gre) 6-4 3-6 6-3, (24) A Bondarenko (Ukr) bt A Szavay (Hun) 6-2 6-3
MEN'S DOUBLES
First round:(7) J Erlich (Isr) & A Ram (Isr) bt A Kuznetsov (USA) & M Zverev (Ger) 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-2 6-3, (10) A Clement (Fra) & M Llodra (Fra) bt M Russell (USA) & G Simon (Fra) 6-2 6-1 6-3, J Auckland (Gbr) & S Huss (Aus) bt I Bozoljac (Ser) & D Norman (Bel) 4-6 6-4 7-5 7-5, S Lipsky (USA) & D Martin (USA) bt A Montanes (Spa) & R Ramirez Hidalgo (Spa) 6-3 6-3 6-0, (1) B Bryan (USA) & M Bryan (USA) bt G Garcia-Lopez (Spa) & F Verdasco (Spa) 6-1 6-3 6-3, (3) M Knowles (Bah) & D Nestor (Can) bt N Almagro (Spa) & I Navarro Pastor (Spa) 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 6-1, C Kas (Ger) & A Peya (Aut) bt (11) Y Allegro (Swi) & J Thomas (USA) 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-4 6-4, H Levy (Isr) & R Ram (USA) bt D Hrbaty (Svk) & M Mertinak (Svk) 6-4 6-4 6-4, (5) M Damm (Cze) & L Paes (Ind) bt C Haggard (Rsa) & M Matkowski (Pol) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 7-5, M Gicquel (Fra) & F Serra (Fra) is tied with Igor Andreev (Rus) & Teimuraz Gabashvili (Rus) 3-6 7-6, (9) L Dlouhy (Cze) & P Vizner (Cze) bt T Cibulec (Cze) & J Kerr (Aus) 6-4 6-4 6-2, E Butorac (USA) & J Murray (Gbr) bt O Hernandez (Spa) & P Starace (Ita) 6-3 6-3 6-3, R Bloomfield (Brit) & J Marray (Brit) bt S Ratiwatana (Tha) & S Ratiwatana (Tha) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-4, (4) F Santoro (Fra) & N Zimonjic (Ser) bt L Childs (Brit) & J Delgado (Gbr) 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5), (16) M Frystenberg (Pol) & L Kubot (Pol) leads J Baker (Brit) & A Bogdanovic (Brit) 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-2, R Ginepri (USA) & T Parrott (USA) bt N Bamford (Brit) & J May (Brit) 7-6 (14-12) 6-3 6-2, W Moodie (Rsa) & T Perry (Aus) bt (14) J Coetzee (Rsa) & R Wassen (Ned) 2-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-4, B Becker (Ger) & P Pala (Cze) bt C Suk (Cze) & R Vik (Cze) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 6-3, A Delic (USA) & B Reynolds (USA) bt M Baghdatis (Cyp) & Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi) 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-4, R Mello (Bra) & A Sa (Bra) bt J Benneteau (Fra) & N Mahut (Fra) 6-7 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 6-3 .
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
First round:L Dominguez Lino (Spa) & A Parra Santonja (Spa) bt P Cetkovska (Cze) & LSafarova (Cze) 6-1 6-2, (5) K Peschke (Cze) & R Stubbs (Aus) bt SSun (Chn) & Zheng Ji (Chn) 6-0 6-4, K Bondarenko (Ukr) & A Bondarenko (Ukr) bt S Cohen Aloro (Fra) & V Razzano (Fra) 6-1 6-2, J Craybas (USA) & L Granville (USA) bt (15) V King (USA) & J Kostanic Tosic (Cro) 6-3 6-4, St Foretz (Fra) & S Sfar (Tun) bt E Baltacha (Gbr) & N Cavaday (Gbr) 6-0 7-6 (9-7), (1) L Raymond (USA) & S Stosur (Aus) bt Hradecka (Cze) & R Voracova (Cze) 6-2 3-6 6-3, V Azarenka (Blr) & Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) bt Su-Wei Hsieh (Tpe) & Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) 6-3 7-5, (7) J Husarova (Svk) & M Shaughnessy (USA) bt K Paterson (Brit) & M South (Gbr) 6-1 7-5, E Laine (Fin) & MJ Martinez Sanchez (Spa) bt J Ditty (USA) & R Kops-Jones (USA) 7-6 (7-5) 0-6 6-2, S Williams (USA) & V Williams (USA) bt C Curran (Brit) & A Keothavong (Gbr) 6-1 6-3, (12) M Kirilenko (Rus) & E Vesnina (Rus) bt A Rezai (Fra) & J Vakulenko (Ukr) 5-0 ret, A Nakamura (Jpn) & T Tanasugarn (Tha) bt A Fitzpatrick (Brit) & E Webley-Smith (Gbr) 6-1 6-4, A Hlavackova (Cze) & S Kloesol (Ger) bt K Jans (Pol) & A Rosolska (Pol) 6-2 6-4, S Peng (Chn) & Zi Yan (Chn) bt A Harkleroad (USA) & T Obziler (Isr) 4-6 6-4 6-2, (10) E Likhovtseva (Rus) & Sheng-Nan Sun (Chn) bt O Poutchkova (Rus) & MSequera (Ven) 6-4 6-2, (3) Chin-Wei Chan (Tpe) & Chia-Jung Chuang (Tpe) bt D Hantuchova (Svk) & A Ivanovic (Ser) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4, M Bartoli (Fra) & M Tu (USA) bt S Borwell (Gbr) & J Curtis (Gbr) 5-0 6-2, A Szavay (Hun) & V Uhlirova (Cze) bt I Benesova (Cze) & G Voskoboeva (Rus) 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 8-6 .
TODAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
(Selected third round matches, prefix number denotes seedings)
Centre Court (1pm)J Tipsarevic (Ser) v 5-F Gonzalez (Chi), M Sequera (Ven) v 7-S Williams (USA) 1-R Federer (Swi) v 26-M Safin (Rus)
Court One (1pm)3-Jelena Jankovic (Ser) v 25-L Safarova (Cze), 9-J Blake (USA) v 20-J C Ferrero (Spa), 3-A Roddick (USA) v F Verdasco (Spain)
Court Two (11am)1-J Henin (Bel) v E Vesnina (Rus), 21-D Tursunov (Rus) v 13-T Haas (Ger), 9-M Hingis (Swi) v L Granville (USA)
