British underdogs will have their day in the sun against top names

Were proof needed that Britain seeks to punch above its weight on the international stage, look no further than Wimbledon today as a man who drives a P-registration Ford Fiesta and once contemplated giving up tennis takes on the might of Pete Sampras.

Barry Cowan, 26, will march on to SW19's Court One at lunchtime to challenge the man who has won the men's title seven times in the past eight years, owns a string of sports cars and two mansions and has so far won £24.5m in a career drenched in glory.

The tennis fanatic from Lancashire will carry the flag on the sun-soaked grass courts. His better known compatriot Tim Henman will face fellow Briton Martin Lee, previously best known for smashing 20 rackets a year in frustration, on Centre Court.

Such a procession of homegrown underdogs is already a perennial feature of Wimbledon. But this year, at least, the pluckiest of the plucky Brits will be able to crash out to some big names, Cowan against Sampras today and tomorrow the Birmingham-born Jamie Delgado against second seed Andre Agassi.

Cowan, who still lives with his parents in Ormskirk, has had to stay in rat-infested hotels to take part in tournaments, has earned £150,000 in his ten-year career and is staying with friends for Wimbledon.

Little surprise, then, that he was philosophical on his chances in the biggest game of his career. "Obviously I'm a huge underdog. He is number four in the world. I am ranking 260 in the world – you don't have to be Einstein to realise there is a big difference in the rankings," he conceded.

Meanwhile, the daddy's girls of Wimbledon took to the sweltering grass courts armed with the belief that certain special aids will propel them to tennis glory – washing powder, memories of absent pets and, above all, the stern guidance of their coach fathers. As Venus Williams revealed that she played best when with her Yorkshire terrier and Jelena Dokic said superstition drove her to handwash her kit every day, their famously idiosyncratic fathers were plotting a more conventional route to triumph.

Both Richard Williams and Damir Dokic maintained a constant scowl yesterday as they watched their daughters – apparently relishing their reputations as the most domineering parents on the circuit.

Mr Williams was in typically bullish mood after seeing Venus, the defending ladies' champion, stutter to a 6-2 6-3 victory over her Japanese opponent Shinobu Asagoe.

Asked for his thoughts on rumours that Venus had unveiled a new lucky charm, he said: "I don't know if she had one but if she did, that other girl stole it for a while."

Yugoslav Jelena, meanwhile, looked towards her father after every point as she secured a comprehensive win over the Paraguayan Rossana de los Rios 7-5 6-1. Mr Dokic signalled his approval with a number of nods of the head.