THERE will be a British tennis player in the fourth round of the Australian Open -- so what?

Does anyone actually care that Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski will come head to head in Melbourne in the early hours, because I don't believe that anyone does.

The national media are trying to make a big deal out of it, but I must admit that I can't recall hearing any member of Joe Public getting all excitable about this one.

Football issues rule the roost, but while Lennox Lewis going toe to toe with Mike Tyson, Test cricket and even the world darts are issues that prompt discussion my experience is that tennis does not.

The problem is that Henman serves up annual disappointment for the English nation at Wimbledon, while whatever Rusedski's claims at a Yorkshire heritage -- his British ancestry linked with that tennis hotbed of Dewsbury -- he remains regarded as an import.

Ironically heavyweight boxing champion Lewis has a Canadian background in common with Rusedski and he knows from experience it requires success at the highest level, i.e. actually winning something rather than being a gutsy challenger, to win over the hearts of the British sporting public.

The feeling seems to be that whichever Brit wins through he will probably prove to be a fall guy at the next stage.

So why care?