Reginald Brace at Wimbledon: Fun-filled week ensures tennis competes well with World Cup

What an eventful first week. The longest match in tennis history; Wimbledon's latest finish, approaching 11pm, under the Centre Court roof; the Queen's first visit for 33 years; Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal threatened in five set dramas; Victor Hanescu fined for spitting in a match where four spectators were arrested for disorderly conduct.

All this without a vuvuzela in earshot, thank goodness.

Wimbledon, exciting, emotional and dramatic, came out well from its confrontation with that other sporting contest in South Africa.

The form of Federer, pursuing his seventh Wimbledon title, looks strangely vulnerable although he recovered his customary poise against Arnaud Clement. Today's clash in the fourth round with Jurgen Meltzer promises to be a revealing indicator of whether the great man is finding his rhythm and confidence.

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Nadal looked a worried warrior on Saturday when he needed five sets to dispose of Germany's Philip Petzschner.

This was the second time he had been taken the full distance in the tournament, and concerns are growing about the state of the knees which have taken such punishment in his career as the game's most indomitable retriever.

The Majorcan admitted that his knees "were not 100 per cent recovered" from the problems which kept him out of last year's Wimbledon.

More treatment is impending and he has withdrawn from Spain's Davis Cup clash with France. It is not an encouraging scenario for the world's No1 player.

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Petzschner said that Nadal's injury time out for attention to his knee broke his rhythm in the fourth set but did not go so far as suggesting gamesmanship.

Nadal subsequently received an official warning for coaching from the sideline by his Uncle Tony.

He was clearly relieved to see the back of a troublesome contest which posed more questions than it answered.

The most unruffled contender for the title continues to be Andy Murray, who has yet to concede a set in the Championships and looked supremely at home against the Frenchman Gilles Simon.

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The possibility of Britain's worst ever start to the Championships being followed by our first men's champion since Fred Perry in 1936 gathers strength with each round.

Simon is a notoriously slow starter and he did not get into his stride until the third set of Murray's 6-1 6-4 6-4 victory on Saturday night but by then the British No1 had the result firmly in his grip. Murray's main worry in the closing stages was beating the encroaching darkness and its threat of a delay for roof closure. He finished the job in the gloaming with a workmanlike flourish.

So where does that leave patriots thirsting for a British triumph after 74 barren years?

Match-by-match optimism is the recommended mantra.

"I'm going to have to play better next week if I want to go all the way," said an understandably cautious Murray.

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Next up in his quest for the holy grail of tennis is Sam Querrey, the American who won his first grass court title at Queens two weeks ago.

Querrey's victory over Xavier Malisse lasted three hours 47 minutes and was his first five set win.

"I think it will be 99 per cent for Murray on Monday and my mom, dad and sister cheering for me,'' he said. "I'm just going to have to go out there and play big with a high first serve percentage."

Murray has won their three previous meetings comfortably. But this is a Wimbledon packed with the unexpected.