Raining On Tim’s Parade

‘TODAY, weather almost certainly not permitting, Tim Henman will walk onto Centre Court for his eighth fourth round match at Wimbledon in eight years.

Andre Agassi does his hilarious impersonation of Tim Henman

And once again we will get our face painted, put a Union Jack hat on and collectively scream ‘Come on, Tim’ as we try to propel the Tiger into his seventh quarter-final.

The Independent recalls that only Mark Philippoussis in 2000 has beaten Henman at this stage of the tournament.

And his list of victims, which includes Pat Rafter, Richard Krajicek, Jim Courier and Todd Martin, is a highly impressive one.

To that list Henman will have to add the name of last year’s runner-up David Nalbandian if he is to realise his dream of winning the tournament this year.

However, the Guardian says the weather and the match scheduling, which has Henman out last on Centre Court to maximise the BBC’s ratings, could count against the No.10 seed.

Also, he has never beaten the Argentine (although they have only met twice), so when he does eventually get on court, he will start off as underdog. Or undertiger.

Britain’s interest in the Winter Olympics is normally confined to a group of Scottish housewives with their brooms out.

We certainly couldn’t care less normally where the event is held, but the Guardian reports on how we should all be crossing our fingers that Vancouver gets the nod for the 2010 games.

The Canadian city is the red-hot favourite, but its success ‘could sound the death knell’ for New York’s bid to host the 2012 games.

If, however, Salzburg gets the gig, then Barbara Cassani’s job of convincing the IOC to bring the games to London in 2012 ‘will begin to look like a mission impossible’.

Meanwhile, Olympic champion Denise Lewis’s decision to continue to work with discredited coach Dr Ekkart Arbeit has attracted criticism from the highest quarter.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said it was ‘not a good idea’ for Lewis to associate herself with a man who was a major figure in East Germany’s state-controlled doping regime of the 1970s and 1980s.

And the Telegraph believes that what was originally portrayed as a little local difficulty could have implications for London’s Olympic bid and British sport as a whole.

Finally, the Times reports that Andrew Caddick has managed to pick up a back injury while recuperating from a foot injury and is likely to miss the whole of the South Africa series.

And Fifa, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to ban players taking their shirts off to celebrate a goal.

It’s good to see that with everything going on in football, someone has got their priorities right.

‘

Posted: 30th, June 2003 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink