7.53PM, SECOND RAIN DELAY: All square 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 2-2

‘WHEN we got back to the dressing room it was a completely different atmosphere,’ says Bloxham. ‘They were as tense as you could see two athletes, like two Formula One cars revving up for the last lap.

‘Again I’m waiting for the call from Andrew and I can’t hold the newspaper still because my hands are shaking so much.’

In the commentary booth, Castle and Henman are taking stock. ‘I had a good chat with Tim,’ says Castle, ‘I said, “We can afford to say little because how do you add to this?”’

With darkness closing in, there is looming the spectre of an anticlimactic and logistically awkward Monday finish.

‘Undoubtedly there’s stress involved,’ says Jarrett. ‘But at eight o’clock, with a potential four games to play, we are not going to cancel at this stage.’

Bloxham says: ‘The phone rings and Andrew says, “Get out there now”. As we were walking out, the linesmen were just sitting down and the umpire was getting to his chair. We’d wasted literally no seconds and little did we know we’d need every last second of daylight to finish that match.’