Wimbledon: Live Game-by-game Coverage of Tim Henman's Match With Feliciano Lopez

It's even raining in that Federer match now as well "In response to the most consistent single-playing British sports performer - how about Joe Calzaghe?" asks Greg Krmadjian. Ok, Greg, you've got 30 words to offer your case. "He's reigned as a champion for a decade and is respected. Unlike Timmy who is the epitome of everything that is wrong with sport. An over-privileged loser." You're right about Calzaghe, but then - and this has to count against him even if it is through no fault of his own - he has only ever fought one truly world-class boxer, Jeff Lacy. If he had beaten Jermain Taylor, Bernard Hopkins et al, then I'd be willing to crown him.

The Beeb are showing a replay of Federer giving his latest victim a good thrashing "Surely Lennox Lewis fits the bill as the top sportsman of the past decade, followed by the only British tennis player to reach the final of a grand slam," says Andy Stiff. "­All hail Canada." Lewis certainly would be top, but he retired in 2004. Then again, it could be claimed Henman's career at the top level came to an end three years ago, too.

No word on how long this rain-delay will last "Re: The best individual British sportsman of the last ten years," begins Nick Hughes. "I'll see your Henman and raise you the man who has reigned supreme at the top of his sport for the past 15 years and, unlike Henman, has the silverware (and waistline) to prove it. I give you Mr Phil 'The Power' Taylor." I knew someone would put forward The Power. I'm not going to enter into a debate as to whether darts is a sport, but I will argue that it is a sport played by so few people in so few countries that being a top-10 tennis player is more of an achievement than being a world champion darts thrower.

Rain stops play Lopez takes the first point of the third game with a delicate volleyed lob, but rather than put their hands together in applause, the spectators reach for their bags and their umbrellas as the players rush to the exit.

First set: Henman 1-1 Lopez* López is a rare breed: a Spaniard who likes to serve-and-volley. (Incidentally, I used to find it fitting that Aranxtia Sanchez-Vicario said "grass is just for cows".) He uses this tactic on every point in his first service game, but Henman's eye is in already and he extracts three loose volleys from López to set up a break-point ... and promptly sends his return into the net. López then gets on the board with a gorgeous drop-shot.

First set: *Henman 1-0 Lopez A nervy start from Lopez, who only manages to return one of Henman's serves - and that is confidently dispatched by a crisp Henman volley.

Warm-up Forehands, backhands, volleys, smashes, serves. You know the drill.

Talking tactics Some BBC flunkie called Jason Goodall, presumably related to the Josh who lost to Lopez in straight sets on Monday, has noted that the Spaniard is left-handed and has a weak backhand. So now you know.

As a consistent performer, has Henman been Britain's best individual sportsman over the past decade? He may not have won one of tennis's four biggest tournaments, but he has been ranked in the top 10 of a truly global sport for most of the past 10 years. I'm open to other nominations.

Preamble Hello Henmaniacs and welcome to the latest running of the Tiger Tim rollercoaster. Indeed, enjoy it while you can because if the last two years are anything to go by, it could be its last. Yesterday's remarkable victory over Carlos Moya was Henman's third successive first-round five-setter at Wimbledon, and on the two previous occasions Britain's great hope proceeded to flop out at the next hurdle.

The man hoping to ensure a three-peat is Feliciano Lopez, the Anna Kournikova of the men's tour. Lopez, a 25-year-old Spaniard, is famed more for his good looks than his great play - he reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2005, but has lost more matches than he has won during his career - and his games are often punctuated by wolf-whistles from young girls in the crowd rather than "come on Tim"s from middle-aged housewives. In fact, he's even been known to take afternoon strolls down the catwalk in Miami - difficult to imagine Timothy Henry Henman indulging in such past-times.