By Our team at Wimbledon

Come on Maria - surely it's not that boring on Centre Court

Maria Sharapova revealed the secret to reaching her first Grand Slam final - a little rain and light reading.

The 17-year-old was a set and a break down to Lindsay Davenport in their semi-final before showers forced them to seek solace in the locker room.

Asked what she did during the delay Sharapova said: "I was reading OK magazine."

Catching up on all that celebrity gossip must have done the trick because she came out with renewed vigour and wrapped up the match.

The Russian also proved she has brains as well as beauty - oh and a pretty decent backhand too.

Sharapova revealed she had written an essay on sociology on the morning before her clash with Davenport.

The stop-start nature of women's semi- final day did not only affect Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova.

America's Andy Roddick was trying to get some important match practice in before his semi-final clash against Mario Ancic on Friday.

However he only managed 10 minutes on Court Four before the rain came to force him off, but don't worry, inside courts are available to him.

That was of no comfort to the hardy fans left outside who got soaking wet.

More on the increasingly bizarre questions fired at players at the post-match press conferences.

Sebastien Grosjean was the latest victim late on Wednesday night after his victory over Florian Mayer.

"Andy Roddick has a court at his house, has he ever invited you to play and how long would it take to get there?"

Meanwhile, the first question to Roddick after his impressive quarter-final win was: "Are you still working on the slam-dunk overhead?"

The fans on Henman Hill may have been loyal in the face of their hero's disappointing defeat.

But having invented Henmania and spent the last few years leading the tub-thumbing for the British number one, the tabloids wasted no time sticking the boot in after his loss to Mario Ancic.

Dimbo - Hopeless Henman is mauled by Mario blasted the Sun, naming him as one of a gang of four English sportsmen 'Guilty of crimes against English sports fans'.

Tim throws in the towel spat the Express, blaming him for 'completing the nation's week from hell'.

Over the hill accused the Mirror, saying 'Time is nearly up as Tim falls short again'.

The broadsheets were a bit more muted, but not exactly supportive of the 29-year-old.

Horror day leaves disconsolate Henman ripe for plucking, was the Times' take on the Centre Court catastrophe.

And Anyone for lawn bowls? asked Sue Mott in the Telegraph, summing up the mood of English men and women staring blankly into a summer seemingly devoid of home-grown sporting heroes.