Sharapova, obviously, is the exception. How, I wonder, did he pluck up the courage to ask her out on a date – aside from her 6ft 2in statuesque figure she is quite clearly as hard as nails – particularly as at that time he was a relative minnow in the game? He reacts with incredulity. ‘Everyone says that. I know when you see her you don’t want to even talk to her but to me I knew there was something behind that. I emailed her out of the blue. I felt we always had this thing for each other.