Not Jolly Good on a Rainy Day

They sprinkled in a little tennis with the rain Wednesday at Wimbledon, a place where the rain gauge comes with a yardstick.

It was men’s quarterfinal day at the sport’s most historic and soggy event. And if results were the only measure of the day, then there was no July 2.

The schedule had Tim Henman playing Sebastien Grosjean, Mark Philippoussis playing Alexander Popp, Roger Federer playing Sjeng Schalken and Jonas Bjorkman playing Andy Roddick. Only the first two matches even got on the court. Any sightings on the premises of Federer, Schalken, Bjorkman or Roddick could not be confirmed.

Play began shortly after 1 p.m. on the main courts and was halted at 7:30. In between, there were three rain delays of varying lengths -- one more than two hours with a downpour that turned the big-screen, general-admission viewing area known as Henman Hill into Henman Mudslide.

The non-day became officially so with a very proper British announcement on the public address system that said, “As you probably have imagined, play has been abandoned for the day because of rain and bad light. We are very sorry for the interruptions and we hope you have a safe journey home.”

The only winners were vendors selling umbrellas and the All England Lawn Tennis Club, whose ticket-refund policy reads: “If there is less than one hour’s play because of rain on the court for which tickets have been bought, the original purchaser of the tickets for the court on that day will be refunded with the amount which they paid for those tickets -- the maximum refund payable will be the face value of the tickets for the day concerned. If there is more than one-hour’s play, but less than two-hour’s play, refunds will be limited to half the amount paid.

Quick translation: You bought ‘em, you eat ‘em.

Perhaps there was enough drama to satisfy many of the ticket-holders on Centre Court. That’s where England’s Henman, also known here by 7 million of his closest friends as “Our Timmy,” played a quirky match that left the English fans soaring with joy and plunging with despair. They do both well.

Henman entered the court to huge cheers and squeals. Quickly, he got himself behind, 5-1. Just as quickly, he got back into the match by breaking the hard-serving Grosjean twice. Then he served the set into a tiebreaker and chipped and charged off a Grosjean serve to get to 6-3 in the tiebreaker.

Three set points. Jolly old England was jolly.

But then, Henman, a good player and decent guy who handles the English idolatry with about as much perspective as anybody can, muffed two volleys on his own serve and, on Grosjean’s, floated an easy backhand wide. He still managed one more set point, with Grosjean serving at 7-8, but the French baseliner served and volleyed to save it. Then, with Henman serving at 8-9, Grosjean hit a cross-court forehand past Henman at the net and Henman’s huge comeback had become a huge flop. From Chelsea to Clapham Junction, fish and chips were being tossed against the wall.

Henman won the second set, getting his service break on a shot that ticked the net and flopped over. Then Grosjean broke early, Henman broke back and Grosjean broke again to win the third set. All that, of course, was woven between the three rain stoppages.

In the fourth, a reluctant Grosjean continued on a slippery court, with dark clouds overhead and thunder in the distance and trailed, 2-1, when all play was stopped.

Across the way, on Court 1, where the conqueror of Andre Agassi, Australia’s Philippoussis, was supposed to have his way with unheralded German Popp, play continued in the fifth set about two minutes longer than it did on Centre Court. But the final misting cloud eventually made the 200-yard move and Philippoussis packed up, leading by a slim two points, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 2-2, 30-love.

So the day that never was will segue into a day that was to belong only to the women. Today’s schedule has Henman and Grosjean finishing on Centre Court, but not until after Serena Williams and Justine Henin-Hardenne play their semifinal. The other women’s semifinal, Venus Williams versus Kim Clijsters, will be third on.

Philippoussis and Popp also will be given additional rest, following the match between Roddick and Sweden’s Bjorkman. The short straw went to Federer, of Switzerland, and Schalken, of the Netherlands, who will have to play on Court 2.

All this, of course, weather permitting.