The semi-final between Roger Federer and Tommy Haas may as well have been an old episode of Emmerdale. Some people were watching the big screen; many were not. There was occasional polite applause but there was an awful lot of silence.

This said less about the quality of the tennis between the Swiss and the German and more about the state of those out on Henman Hill. After long early morning queuing and the burst of energy required to sprint to a prime spot, the fans were exhausted and some admitted to having drunk more alcohol than they would normally consume before lunchtime. In a typically British response to alcohol, many, upon reading the rules about entry into All England Club which stated that each person would be restricted to bringing in two cans of beer, had decided to glug down the half dozen they had packed for the day, while waiting in line.

Then, in an even more typically British response to alcohol, having realised the rules were not being strictly enforced, many fans went off to buy more booze. The reason the Hill was quiet in the build-up to the arrival of Andy Murray was, simply, because a lot of people were tipsy and tired.

The effect, overall, was like being in the picnic area of a motorway service station. People were eating because they needed to refuel before the journey that is supporting a Brit at Wimbledon.

It was even quieter over on No 2 Court which had been opened up as a Hill alternative. A few couples treated the show court like their front room, half dozing in front of the TV that would normally be used as the score board. The stewards had to tell a few confused souls that there was not going to be any actual tennis played, that the reason people were sat there was to watch the match that would soon start in the court around the corner.

It was, most definitely, the calm before the storm.