Ponting said he was "devastated" to miss out on the match and it completed a miserable couple of months for the batsman, who scored only 113 runs in eight innings in the series, with an average of 16.14.

BBC: Ashes: Australia's Ricky Ponting set to undergo surgery

His father-in-law failed to get the marriage declared illegal but found other ways to make the couple's life miserable.

ECONOMIST: English poetry

Although the British women also endured a miserable Wimbledon, they have made significant progress over the past couple of years, so the emergence of several young prospects behind the likes of Elena Baltacha, Katie O'Brien and Anne Keothavong is extremely good news.

BBC: British juniors shine at Wimbledon