IT WAS easy to tell that the normally unflappable organisers of these Wimbledon championships were finally rattled yesterday. A second day lost to rain and their usual laissez faire approach to media coverage was abandoned.

Suddenly the powers that be at the All England Club have been struck by the appalling prospect of the outside world simply losing interest in events here in SW19 and, hastily, they threw together the sort of plan to counter the problem that only those behind this particular tournament could ever dream up. They sent out Tim Henman.

At least he, just like us, admitted that he was only there as a last resort. "Don't take it the wrong way," he laughed, "but there only so many lunches, practice sessions and games of backgammon you can have." Hmmm, make that lunches, newspapers and daytime television (hey Dave, there's got to be a better way of telling your girlfriend that you're gay than on the Ricki Lake show) and the feeling's just about mutual there Tim.

More entertaining was Venus Williams who, after five days waiting to make her Wimbledon debut, won her first competitive encounter at these championships by proving comfortably more than a match for the media. "I can't believe you asked me that question!" exclaimed the 17 year old American when asked which players on the circuit she admired. You don't seriously want me to answer it, do you?" she asked of the poor, distressed looking reporter who had simply been going about his everyday business of allowing sports stars the opportunity to spout a series of banalities. This woman may have to be stopped before she does some real damage.

On court, on the other hand, it continues to look as though she may never get started. The loss of play yesterday made this Wimbledon the first since 1909 to lose two full days of tennis.

The prospect of the downpour continuing right through the weekend is, at this stage, the only reason that tomorrow has so far not been included in the schedule for the rest of the tournament. A final decision on whether to risk it will, however, only be made at four o'clock this afternoon, by which time Alan Mills and his associates hope the great tournament referee in the sky will have decided to look favourably upon them.

The bad news, though, is that the forecast yesterday suggested that the rain would continue, at least in spells, for a further six days.