Notebook

Schalken celebrating in the Wimbledon rain

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Sjeng Schalken was celebrating Wednesday in the Wimbledon rain.

On a day slowed by almost four hours of wet-weather delays, Schalken's quarterfinal match Wednesday against Roger Federer had to be put off until Thursday.

That was great news for the Dutchman.

With an infected and inflamed left foot that needed injections to kill the pain, Schalken would have been at a severe handicap playing on Wednesday.

"I would have had to beat Roger Federer in 1 1/2 hours, straight three sets," he said. "Otherwise I would have shaken his hand and said: `Have fun in the semis'."

"I'm really glad that we play in England," he added, cracking a smile.

The eighth-seeded Schalken was a Wimbledon quarterfinalist last year. He practiced gingerly on Wednesday and was forced to walk about one kilometer (one-half mile) to the practice courts.

"They were all very interested in the Henman match, so I was stuck in traffic," he said.

The Dutchman is optimistic for Thursday's match.

"I think it's going to be better tomorrow. The foot is healing pretty good and I am thinking that I won't have to play with an injection tomorrow. I can play a normal match against him [Federer] and I can focus on my tennis again and not on my foot."

From Henman hill

First, sporadic rain stopped play three times.

Second, Tim Henman was playing for the seventh time in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon as he tries to become the first Englishman to win the title in 67 years.

"We had thunder and lightening at one point and the British don't move, we just sat there and suffered," said Englishman Bill Henry, who was sitting among several thousand fans on the hillside named in Henman's honor behind Court No. 1.

"Watching Henman we're suffering anyway."

"We didn't go anywhere. We just got the brollies up."

American Ashley Brown (Durham, New Hampshire) and her Australian boyfriend Oliver Cartmel summed up Henman.

"It's the entire hopes of one nation resting on the shoulder of one poor guy," Ashley said.

"And these are not massive Viking-like shoulders, because he's a bit boyish," Oliver added.

Fans huddled under umbrellas, flipped up the hoods on their ponchos and sipped warming drinks to fight off the wet weather. And most seemed to enjoy it.

"What I love is their [English fans] optimism because Henman is still here, and their unbridled joy when he scores a points," Cartmel said. "It's just so refreshingly beautiful."

No. 1

In the current ranking, Williams is No. 1 followed by Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin-Hardenne, and Venus Williams. In Thursday's semifinals, Serena Williams plays Henin-Hardenne and Clijsters faces Venus Williams.

Here's what can happen as a result of the semifinals and finals.

-- If both Serena and Clijsters lose in the semifinals, Clijsters will take over No. 1.

-- If Clijsters loses in the semifinals and Serena reaches the final, Serena will retain No. 1 no matter what she does in the final.

-- If Serena plays Clijsters in the final, the champion will be No. 1.

Dominating Russians

"I you think it marked a great success for our tennis," said Tarpishchev, who heads the Russian tennis federation, "just wait until next year. They will have matured by then and that is why I believe they will win Wimbledon. We're going to dominate women's tennis in the future."

Viewers

Britain last had a men's Wimbledon champion with Fred Perry in 1936.

Williams booster

"Yeah, for sure, we've become friends now," Davenport said after being knocked out of the quarterfinals by Venus.

"We've never had dinner -- but I just think being around each other for so long [has made] everyone grow up. Including myself.

"We have discussed a lot of the issues that have faced us on the tour and, you know, spent time around each other lately. I just think you are dealing with a lot of different girls and women of a lot of different ages in this environment."

Davenport has said she found the two a bit difficult to deal with when they were younger.

"But I think they have kind of changed their philosophy a little bit," she said. "They are very friendly to most players I think, although I don't want to speak for all the others.

"Serena is probably a little more outgoing of the two, a little bit more of a jokester. Venus seems a little more cerebral, more analytical about things."

 

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