Back in the bad old days of British tennis, the crowd at Wimbledon had one job: to cheer for their lucky loser with the kind of optimism that defied all known laws of reality. But these days, being a home fan at the Championships requires a greater level of nuance.
It was hard for the Centre Court crowd to know where they stood at 8pm on Saturday. Their hero, who had cruised so easily past Robin Haase in his previous match, was now proceeding equally smoothly against Andreas Seppi. There was no need for panic, or the mad encouragement they usually dish out to the home talent.