Woody Allen back at Wimbledon

The unexpected appearance of American Andy Roddick in the men's final at Wimbledon brought a sudden rush of Americans to London at the weekend. Spotted in the Centre Court crowd on Sunday were filmmaker Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi, actor Ben Stiller and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Kissinger, who took off his suit jacket to reveal some very snazzy braces - or suspenders as he would call them back home - appeared to have trouble staying awake. Allen, who wore a khaki flowerpot hat against the sun, simply looked grumpy. Possibly Russell Crowe, sitting right behind him, had reminded the director of his last visit to Wimbledon: that was to film scenes for his 2005 movie Match Point, which starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson and received some of the unkindest reviews he's ever had.

Allen, in town to make a new London-based film, was recently in Paris to promote the opening of his new comedy Whatever Works, starring Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David opposite Evan Rachel Wood. Under pressure from French reporters he agreed that their First Lady, Carla Bruni, would be "wonderful" in a Woody Allen movie. "I don't have a story at the moment but, you know, maybe even I'll ask her," he said.

Whether Roger Federer or Andy Roddick would have spotted Allen, Stiller and Kissinger during their five-set marathon is debatable - all three were in the stands.

The American given a prime seat in the royal box was Pete Sampras, who had flown in specially from California to witness Federer overtake his record of 14 Grand Slam titles. Accompanied by his wife Bridgette Wilson, a former Miss Teen USA, Sampras looked as relaxed about relinquishing the record as he used to look at the end of his Wimbledon victories back in the 1990s.