“I never stopped dreaming,” he said when asked why he had stayed at the top for so long And that’s probably where the romance comes in. Hearns was a dream fighter from a dream era.The reality next week may be harsh For all his power, Hearns is now 40 years old The legs will be slower, the reflexes duller. His opponent, Nate Miller of Philadelphia, will give him trouble, and may even expose him as a man who should no longer be involved in this ruthlessly cruel business.But until that happens, the appearance of Hearns in a British ring is something to savour, rather than to regret. Boxers of his like happen only rarely, whatever the brash young men who would fill his footsteps may believe to the contrary.Barry Hearn, page 15.

BRITISH HOPES are alive in the Davis Cup after Frightful Friday. Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski conjured a marvellous five-set victory 3- 6 7-5 6-3 6-7 6-3 in three and a quarter hours to keep the United States at bay and take their Davis Cup World Group tie into the final day. It was as much a relief to the 9,000 people who have bought tickets for the Sunday play as it was to the British camp that the crucial doubles contest was denied to an American squad bursting with confidence after taking a 2-0 lead. The win keeps the Henman-Rusedski combination flying with a 100 per cent record as a doubles combination. They have now played seven times together, three times on Davis Cup duty and four times in winning at Battersea in February, and are developing into quite a team.
In contrast, the United States chose to go with a duo who had never played Davis Cup together before – and it showed.

They took a calculated gamble in playing Todd Martin, injured stomach muscle and all, alongside Alex O’Brien, and it backfired when he flagged badly. There could be worse news for them today, since Martin is first on court against Henman. Britain’s captain David Lloyd forecast yesterday morning that if we won the doubles Britain would win the whole thing.And he was thinking just as positively afterwards. “We should have won in four sets but in a way five sets was good for us because I thought Todd was getting a little tired,” he said. “Greg and Tim are really an excellent pair; they combine so well I think they could win Wimbledon. They have that natural movement and in some of the quick rallies looked as if they had played so many times togther, rather than just seven.”Henman, who called the crowd’s support “phenomenal”, also faces the fatigue factor. Although, having played 10 sets in two days, he will be back in action at lunchtime today he insisted “I don’t foresee any problem.

I am ready whatever.”The Americans announced their decision to play Martin instead of Jim Courier an hour before the start and at first it looked an inspired decision. Martin did not concede a single point on serve in the opening set, which the Americans wrapped up in 31 minutes when Henman was broken on net play of pure genius by Martin, who then served out commandingly. Britain had by then already had their chances, having spurned four break points in the seventh game.The small knot of supporters flourishing Stars and Stripes were ecstatic but their joy was short-lived. The British began to assemble their act much more impressively behind the rock-solid serving of Rusedski, with David Lloyd egging on the crowd to get behind their boys They needed little urging.

There was pandemonium as Britain conjured a break point, again in the sixth game, but O’Brien, a man with the pugnacious bearing of Brad Gilbert, rescued it with a volley.The audience were savouring every prospect of peril for the Americans and when O’Brien, serving to keep the United States in the second set, floundered into trouble the noise was cranked up to an unprecedented level. As Henman brought Britain to double set point with a thunderous smash, rattles, whistles and klaxons were sounded and though a Henman forehand error saved one set point, an O’Brien forehand into the netting – the first break point Britain had capitalised on out of seven – levelled the match after 73 minutes.If Henman had been involved before, he was now positively hyper, clenching his fists with every winning point. The Americans were so dismayed that the next time they served they were broken again. This time it was the previously flawless Martin who was guilty and signs of fatigue were clearly creeping into his game as he double-faulted and then netted a half-volley.