Henman cracks first

The Observer yesterday ran a match report of Fred Perry's win over Gottfried von Cramm in the singles final of 1936. It was the year of the Nazi Olympics, of Edward VIII's abdication. More appropriately, it was also the year Donald Duck hit the screens. An Englishman winning the 2001 Wimbledon final? Pure Disney.

But Perry's legacy was country club sports wear, not championship, winners and while Bunny Austin in 1938 was the last to play a final their marks still stand.

Yesterday Tim Henman's game fractured after just 14 minutes, allowing Goran Ivanisevic advance to meet Australia's Pat Rafter in today's final, the first to begin on the third Monday of the championship.

With two players under their own pressures, it was Ivanisevic who handled the nervous affair best. It is the third time Henman has lost at the semi-final stage, the previous two to Pete Sampras.

For the wildcard Ivanisevic, only in the competition because of an invitation by the organisers, it is his fourth final. It is the first time in the history of the championships that a wildcard has come through to the final.

"This is destiny," he said coming off court after the 5-7, 7-6, 6-0, 6-7, 6-3 win. "This is God wanting me to win. This is God sending the rain." God's rain was Friday's spill after Henman had just rattled Ivanisevic with a 6-0 third set and was cruising in the fourth.

But the covers came on and, when they eventually came off, out came the wildcard, calm, rested and in a mind to arrest the Henman surge. That's exactly what he did, winning the fourth on a tie break until rain intervened early in the fifth.

The death scene in yesterday's drama lasted only 14 minutes. Henman came on to serve 30-15 ahead and duly held for 3-3.

Ivanisevic then wound up his arm to go up 4-3 as both players fought to find a quick adjustment knowing that the first break of service would likely decide the match.

It was there Henman laboured as Ivanisevic attacked his second service game, earning three break points. The sixth seed saved the first two for deuce before a double fault handed Ivanisevic his third, a dipping return to Henman's feet forcing him to scuff it into the net.

It was up to Ivanisevic to serve for the match, which he brought to 40-30 for match point. A double fault brought it back to deuce before his 186th ace of the championship and unreturnable, wide, curving serve ended the three-hour, two-minute contest.

"The first day the rain helped me a lot. Yesterday it helped no one. Today was a match of nerves, nothing to do with tennis," said Ivanisevic.

"But now you know I don't want to get another plate. I have three plates already," he added. "If some angel comes tonight in my dreams and says, 'okay Goran, you are going to win Wimbledon tomorrow but you are not allowed to touch the racquet ever again in your life,' I'd say okay. I'd rather take that and never play tennis again in my life."

Rafter, who has nursed his body for two days now, has the advantage as Ivanisevic's shoulder continues to be a concern, particularly if the final goes to five sets.

"I just hope that shoulder is going to be fine one more match, then it can fall off for ever. I don't need it. One more match, one more night man, it's going to be lovely."