TENNIS: Crikey, Tim's made it the dream semi-final against Lleyton Hewitt. "The Tiger" and "Rock". Centre Court. Today.

After almost two weeks of new names appearing on the horizon like ephemera then disappearing without trace, finally two high seeded players, one and four, face each other for a place neither have been before.

Hewitt is in new Wimbledon territory already, while Henman has been in the semi-final three times before including last year when he was beaten by the eventual winner, Goran Ivanisevic, in a rain-delayed match played over three days.

For Henman it will be the first time in the championship that he has faced a seeded player of any kind while Hewitt's five-set epic against Sjeng Schalken yesterday was the first occasion he was asked to do so.

On yesterday's performances perhaps that was just as well.

For the two players a dramatic overnight metamorphosis will be hoped for, Henman seeking something more miraculous than the bolshie Australian.

With the unmapped Andre Sa stretching Henman and again illustrating the British number one's profound weakness in being able to decide the complexion of matches against lesser opponents, one wonders what tactics he can play against gut-buster Hewitt.

Hewitt, for the first time, displayed the full spectrum of shades of red on his expressive face. The veins bulged and strings of profanities peppered the dry London air as he let slip a two-set lead to allow the match hang on a fifth set thread.

His usually lethal forehand misfiring will be of significant concern while a glance at his post-match statistics during his massage may bring on the equivalent of Henman's ongoing stomach ache.

Over the five sets Hewitt had four match points before he claimed the fifth, took only eight break points from 27 and hit 93 winners from the baseline with only three volleys.

What do you do when Hewitt makes an error, Schalken was asked after the match. "Thank you. Thank you very much. Almost go on my knees," said the Dutch player.

Hewitt is unlikely to spill as many crucial points against Henman, who will again have the crowd baying for the world number one's blood. And from Schalken's experience of playing Hewitt that's what the 21-year-old wants.

"When I play Lleyton I don't show any emotions. I have the feeling that if I start pumping fists, or, if the crowd really gets against him, he will get better. I think if you try to make him angry or if you're against him, then he will go even more for every shot."

Henman takes a poor record into the match, losing all five times they have met previously. The last meeting, at the Queen's tournament prior to Wimbledon, Hewitt won in three sets, dropping the first 4-6, then dusting Henman off 6-1, 6-4. In their previous meeting on grass, again at Queen's a year ago, Hewitt won in two sets. But Henman is defiant.

"I take in a poor record and that's obvious for everyone to see," he said. "I'm going to have to play very, very well. If I play averagely then I would have thought I'd lose. But right now it's probably the toughest ask in tennis, to beat Hewitt. You know I do need to look carefully at the way I play him.

"But I'm not very interested in semi-finals. The first couple of times it was probably a good achievement but that's obviously not what I'm about now. The only way I can get to a final is to get to a semi-final, so I've given myself another opportunity."

In the other quarter-final matches Belgian Xavier Malisse continued his dream run and wrecked the hopes of Holland's Richard Krajicek. Krajicek was hoping to emulate Ivanisevic last year, coming in on a wild card because of chronic injury and making a solo run to the title.

Malisse, who is seeded 27, took five sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 and advances to meet the virtually unknown Argentinian David Nalbandian. The 28th seed Nalbandian also took five sets to see off his South American opponent Nicolas Lapentti, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4 in three hours 43 minutes.

"I think I learned a lot playing Rusedski in the previous round," said Malisse. "Today I felt comfortable. I definitely felt comfortable out there, the nerves were, you know, okay. I was expecting to lose in the second or third round so every round is a bonus to me now. My aim is to stay on court as long as possible and so far it has worked. The first set went unbelievable but you know that's not going to continue against a big server."

Another new face but not so fast to disappear.