Schuettler and Clement: after their marathon match

As a journalist or commentator you find you best get to know the players at somewhat lesser events oversees, because you tend to stay at the same hotel, share courtesy cars to the stadiums and often fly off together to the next event.

That's how I got to know the German, Rainer Schuettler. It was over several years ago at the Qatar Open in Doha and I soon appreciated that people like him are the very heart and soul of men's tennis.

So today I'll sense a kinship for this tough and friendly 32-year-old, who just when he was wondering when to settle down to a proper job and live off the memory that he once reached the final of the Australian Open, finds himself on the Centre Court at Wimbledon playing - if his weary bones will allow him - against Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals.

I worry about his weariness because what sleep could he have possibly had last night with all that is ahead of him today and what's happened to him over the past two days?

Yes, it's taken him two days - rain showers assisted - and over five hours of actual playing time to beat the little Frenchman Arnaud Clement, who with his headband, neat beard and sunglasses, looked like he had just stepped off the set of a pirate movie.

It finally ended on Thursday at 6.30pm in the evening with the score 8-6 in the fifth. It was the third longest match in the history of Wimbledon and the finish - two real fighters warmly clasping each other at the net - was sport at its most noble.

So has this middle order servant of the game got any real chance against the super-charged Senor Nadal? Of course not, but it's been a magnificent journey.

And what about the other men's semi-final today which precedes them. Roger Federer against the big Russian Marat Safin, who has broken so many rackets in frustration over the last decade, but has presumably, had a good time in the process.

The one danger to the fearless Federer, it seems to me, is that Safin's inner mood tells him, 'I've started so I'll finish'. We shall see.

Stars and stripes

America's Wimbledon 2008 experience in the men's events continues to be simply calamitous. The identical Bryan twins, top seeds in the doubles, lost yesterday to Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett, two more of the game's heart and soul.

So let's wave our stars and stripes like good mates across the pond for the Williams sisters, who tomorrow will face each other for the third time in a Wimbledon ladies final.

In their sibling rivalry across the world since 1998, Serena leads 8-7 and although Venus has more Wimbledon titles to her name, in the two Wimbledon finals they have played, Serena has won twice. Not bad for a couple of dilettanti's, who have other career interests these days - Venus in designing, Serena in acting.

But still journo's quiz them about some dark conspiracy when they play each other. No wonder they get tight-lipped.

Freshen

In a way I'll admit it would have given the women's game a timely freshen up if the neat, nimble and unseeded Chinese girl Ji Zheng had managed to split the Williams' by beating Serena in the semi-final yesterday.

I say that especially because their match was shown live on television in China where the game is spreading so rapidly that Michael Chang is said to be building a tennis centre there.

Anyway Ji Zheng has the Olympics coming up in Beijing this year hasn't she? We await reports of Jimania from that land.

Exciting

Today's last thought; and don't say you didn't read about her here first yesterday. I'm talking of course about the 14-year-old left-hander Laura Robson, Australia-born but British, because she's now through to the semi-finals of the junior singles.

She's the one who Martin Mulligan, my former Wimbledon finalist chum - he lost to Rod Laver in case you have forgotten - considers to be 'the best girl I've seen anywhere in the world in the last 10 years'. Be excited, Britain!