EVEN after nearly two weeks here it's difficult to come to grips with the security operation at these championships.

At every turn, before every doorway, there appears to be somebody making sure your pass permits you to advance. Off duty firemen, ambulance crews, the Salvation Army, it seems as though everybody in London with a uniform is giving up their spare time to give a helping hand.

Out on court it's much the same, with each player having to show that they have what's required to get to the next level, although for some progress seems to be pretty much guaranteed.

On Thursday night Steffi Graf the defending champion in the women's singles, briefly appeared to become confused about her route to this afternoon's title decider. But when she came back yesterday morning to play the match's third set, her opponent, Kimiko Date, might as well have been kitted out with dark blue blazer and a peaked cap. "Serving well, forehand back in gear, good speed around the baseline. That's all in order, Ms Graf, you go straight on ahead to the final."

Until she conceded six games in a row to the Japanese number one, everything had been going very smoothly indeed over the past two weeks for the champion. Since the first round of these championships she Hauliers' Association last night advised truck-drivers to avoid entering the North or crossing the North into Donegal until the situation returned to normal. This Followed attacks on drivers and vehicles.