STRANGE things have started to happen at Wimbledon.
Roger Federer dropping a set, for example. And shadows on court.
It was just like old times on men’s semi finals day at a blustery but sunny SW19.
Except for the fact that we actually played four men’s quarter finals and two ladies’ semi finals.
A feast of fabulous tennis, as they used to say back in the days before global warming.
Even our Roger had to be dragged away from his daily date with Jeremy Kyle to warm up for his match.
Rafael Nadal, who had waited five days to finish an earlier round, could see the irony of being the first man into tomorrow’s semi-finals.
“I’m very happy about my Wimbledon right now,” he smiled.

WHEN the rain falls at Wimbledon and the covers come on, the referee’s office tries to look on the bright side.
“We remain hopeful,” is one of the most common announcements to the spectators waiting for the showers to clear.
It’s also a phrase which could apply to British tennis after it served up yet another failure at the 2007 Championships.
The cream on Wimbledon’s strawberries may have gone sour again as far as home-grown success goes, but those in charge of the game in this country claim there is hope for the future.
Roger Draper has been chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association for just over a year, heralding a new ruthless era at the sport’s governing body.
He talks about producing a generation of “young warriors” who will grow up to plant their flags on Henman Hill.
One of them could be Daniel Smethurst, 16, from Failsworth, who has just been awarded a place in the junior squads at the new £40m National Tennis Centre in London.
It’s been quite a time for the teenager.
After sitting 10 GCSEs last month, he moved to the Lawn Tennis Association’s HQ a fortnight ago, picked by top coaches as one of Britain’s bright hopes for the future.

SHE’S the darling bud of Wimbledon, blossoming into a real crowd favourite.
Teenage Serb Ana Ivanovic reminds some in looks of Oscar winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Pop Larkin would also no doubt remark that her smile is just perfick.
Perhaps it’s no wonder that the girl who used to play tennis at the bottom of an empty swimming pool in war-torn Serbia has done so well at the wettest Wimbledon in years.
Both Ana, 19, and her smile have been in great demand at this year’s Championships, bewitching fans and the media alike.
One TV reporter visibly swooned when he interviewed her.
Now she’s through to a semi final against Venus Williams after victory over the Czech Republic’s Nicole Vadisova 4-6 6-2 7-5, saving three match points for good measure.
If French Open finalist Ana ever gets fed up with tennis and counting the millions of dollars already heading her way, she might like to consider a career in public relations.

WIMBLEDON referee Andrew Jarrett today hit back after complaints from players over some of the decisions at the 2007 Championships.
I spoke to Andrew earlier this morning, with a verdict on a third Monday looming.
Play is about to start here. But more rain is forecast at some stage this afternoon.
First, Andrew served up a response to the comments of Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian about not putting the players first.
“I understand players becoming frustrated with the situation. We all are,” he said, standing on the roof of the press centre.
“It’s difficult when players are going on and off court. Nobody wants that, whether it’s you guys in your profession – you want tennis to write about, we want to get the tournament through, the players want to play.
“So, yeah, understandably there’s frustrations and they’re under huge pressure for their matches.
“As far as fairness to players, that’s always our main consideration. We’ll try and treat all players equally and try to give them the fairest conditions that we possibly can.”

FROM the security guards at the gates to the top players in the locker room, it’s the question everyone is asking.
Will Grimbledon go into a third week?
Andy Roddick has already declared himself free for a men’s final on Monday, should he be needed.
“I don’t have much of a life outside of what you’re seeing here,” he laughed.
“I wouldn’t even mind it . I got nothing to do at home. Hell, let’s just play Wimbledon for like 12 weeks a year.”
Hopefully, it won’t come to that.
But contingency plans are already in place for an extension of the tournament if the weather continues to cause havoc with the schedule.
So far today there’s been plenty of play, but also a two-hour break due to heavy showers.
When Rafael Nadal walked into the interview room earlier this afternoon, you half expected the sprinklers to go off.
Such has been his luck with the rain.

OK. This is how it works.
You get up at 5.30am and the sun is shining on a lovely July morning.
You exit from Southfields tube station at 7.30am and the sky is blue.
A 15-minute walk later, you walk through the gates of the All England Club and spot the first cloud.
By the time you get through security and walk up Henman Hill towards the press centre, that cloud has started to turn grey.
Now we’re just waiting for the first of what promises to be another series of heavy showers and thunderstorms through the day.
I took these photos just after 8am, when – for once – Centre Court (below) was uncovered.
Wimbledon 2007 has been one of the most rain-interrupted on record.
As I left last night, a second massive storm hit this part of London, drenching homeward-bound fans and creating lakes of water on roads and pavements.

WE’RE nearing the end of day eight at Wimbledon and hopes are high of finishing the tournament by September.
The players long ago lost track of which round they are in, who they are playing next and, in some cases, their own names.
In the absence of prolonged spells of tennis between the scheduled rain, thoughts turned to the state of play in Andy Roddick’s marathon locker room card game with his coach Jimmy Connors.
Sadly, coverage is not available via the red button
Every umbrella in the south east of England has been sold, and most of them are here inside the grounds.
Even the newspaper vendors outside are offering a free rain mac with every edition.
Sometimes you have to look fairly hard to find it, but every cloud does indeed promise a silver lining.

SERENA Williams woke today to accusations of gamesmanship in her dramatic victory over Daniela Hantuchova.
Those of us who witnessed her collapse on Centre Court and attended her subsequent press conference were left in no doubt about Serena’s injury.
To suggest – as the BBC has done – that she might have been putting it on flies in the face of all the evidence.
Former Wimbledon champion Michael Sitch, working here for BBC Radio Five Live, said he felt Serena made the most of her injury.
“I thought she was overreacting a little much, which she tends to do, having this injury.
“Not saying she wasn’t in pain or anything.
“But for me, it was like, when you’re injured, you get up, it hurts, you get treatment.
“Either you keep on playing or not. But there’s nothing inbetween being injured or not being injured.

IT only takes a minute for your world to change on Centre Court.
A tearful Serena Williams said she was saved by the rain after collapsing, screaming in pain from a calf muscle spasm.
Her agony against Daniela Hantuchova was hard to watch, especially for father Richard, mother Oracene and sister Venus.
With his daughter limping back into action, Richard pointed to the sky and shouted at the umpire to cover the court. He got his wish a few minutes later.
Returning after the showers, Serena fought like a wounded animal to stay in the Championships.
Roared on by the late evening crowd, she clinched a memorable third set victory, blowing a kiss to the heavens at the end.
“I’ve never dealt with such pain. I can’t believe I won,” she said a few minutes ago in the press interview room, as dusk fell over SW19.
“When I went down, I didn’t expect to be able to get up.
“I thought about not finishing, but very briefly.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I hadn’t at least tried.”

DAWN today revealed a ring of concrete around Wimbledon.
As reported in last night’s blog, security has been increased in a bid to thwart a possible car bomb attack on the grounds.
Dozens of concrete blocks are now in place around the site, including main vehicle gates.
Extra police were on duty with spectators warned to expect even more intense security checks.
While there is not thought to be any specific threat to the Championships, the All England Club is regarded as a vulnerable target.
Surrounded by public roads, in some areas the crowds watching tennis are just metres away from perimeter walls.
Supt Pete Dobson is the officer in overall charge of policing at the 2007 Championships.