TODAY is one of the greatest dates in the sporting calender - the gentlemen's semi-finals at Wimbledon.
Thousands of fans will pack out Centre Court to watch the last four men in the finest tennis tournament in the world square up for a place in Sunday's final.
Tennis is the most gruelling of games. At the highest level, it appears gladiatorial: two individuals in an arena battling it out till the end. Matches can last hours - with the tightest of fights stretching over five sets. Let's hope neither of today's matches mirrors that of John Isner and Nicholas Mahut, whose 2010 clash spanned three days with Isner clinching the victory after a total of 11 hours 5 minutes of play and an exhausting 183 games.
It's hard to classify what is the most gruelling sport, but elite-level tennis must be high on the list. A top player has to combine the speed of an Olympic sprinter, the agility of a star gymnast, the strength of a champion boxer, the strategy of a Premier League footballer and the stamina of a tour cyclist. It is surely the ultimate total sport - and we are lucky to have so many great opportunities to see its best exponents up close.
The British grass court season every June and July brings the tennis superstars to tournaments across the UK in the lead up to Wimbledon. For the past six Novembers, home-grown fans have been able to watch the top eight men in the world go head to head in the World Tour Finals at the 02 in London.
And this year, there has been an added bonus because the British Davis Cup team, led by Andy Murray, has punched above its weight by beating the USA over a thrilling three-day upset in Glasgow in March. Next weekend, they hope to do the same to the French squad (last year's finalists) on the grass at Queen's Club in West London.
Now is the perfect time to capitalise on tennis mania - and encourage fans off their couches and on to courts.
Sadly, not nearly enough is done to make this happen. Public courts are sometimes locked or unable to be booked when people turn up to play. Why not keep them open and make them free for all?
There are some new initiatives to turn people on to tennis. A new one this year is Tennis Tuesdays, promoted by the LTA and Nike, and aimed at getting rusty female players back into the game through a series of coaching sessions. Sounds great - but the nearest session to York is 12 miles away at Boston Spa.
Judy Murray has also thrown her visor into the ring and is the force behind a new drive to get young girls into the sport. Miss-Hits combines social media and tennis and is aimed at encouraging girls under eight to pick up a racquet. There was a film of Judy at work on the news, showing the girls - dressed in pink - hitting balloons with plastic bats.

York Press:

Judy Murray, above left, who has launched the Miss-Hits programme to encourage young girls into tennis


Ok, it's hardly Wimbledon. But she might be on to something here. One of the key things to instil in the budding tennis player is a sense of fun. The sport at its essence is a game. It is about enjoyment as much as it is about exercise or competition.
I took up tennis as an adult, and quickly became hooked. It's not just the sheer exhilaration of running around that is enjoyable, it's the camaraderie of other players and teammates that lifts the spirit too. Tennis is also very challenging, both physically and mentally. It requires skills that develop through dedication and practice - and you can always improve.
Tennis is also one of the few sports where women have earned equality with men. Arenas are packed for male and female players and prize money is equal.
Women's football could learn a few lessons from that.