AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2006

Tim Henman

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

TIM HENMAN: Uhm, no, I don't think it's anything to do with that at all. I know where I'm at right now. You know, I've got to -- you know, I've got to regain some momentum in my game. With the limited sort of schedule I played at the sort of latter part of last year, and obviously started afresh this year, first and foremost, as I said, the priority is to be out there healthy and competing. Don't get me wrong, it is disappointing to lose, and certainly, you know, when I should have been in a fifth set, that's frustrating. But, you know, I tend at this stage not to dwell on probably the last 15, 20 minutes. You know, for the majority of the match, it's incredibly close. As I said, there was some pretty good aspects to my game. But, you know, you can't afford to let a lead slip like that in a set.

TIM HENMAN: Again, I think, you know, you look at the first set, he probably should have won that set. And I did a great job to turn things around. He's so -- you know, end of the first set, I definitely got momentum. But he's so difficult to play against because I think a lot of the time the match is, you know, in his control because he's just so powerful. You just don't really know what to expect. When he's on with his shots, there's very little you can do. Whether you're serving in the corners or serving at him or just in a rally, he can obviously hit winners from anywhere. He can miss them, as well. It's difficult from that aspect, but, you know, the beginning part of the second set I think was going to be an important time when I just got a set. You know, he was the one that came out of that exchange on top. Likewise, you know, I had an opportunity in the third set when I was up 4-3. You look at those games and, you know, sometimes you tip your hat when the guy just hits winners. There's not so much you can do sometimes.

TIM HENMAN: I think, yeah -- I think it's, you know, mental aspect. The 5-1 game is fine. He held comfortably. But, you know, I played a poor game. Nothing happened on my serve at 5-2 in the fourth. You know, you probably put it down to matches. But it's no excuse. You can't just, you know, let a game go that quickly without anything happening in it. And then the next game was the one game I did have a chance in. I had a pretty routine forehand pass, and I didn't make it. Then all of a sudden he's back in the match, starts swinging. It was going in pretty consistently.

TIM HENMAN: Probably, yeah.

TIM HENMAN: I absolutely appreciate, and that's why I entered Zagreb. You know, I wanted to make sure that if I'm healthy, there's a succession of tournaments I can play in. You know, that's where I'm at right now. I want to play matches. You know, as I said, we probably played three hours tonight and, you know, I felt very, very good on the court. That for the vast majority of '05 wasn't the case. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm playing my best, but at least I'm going to have a platform to work from, a platform to work from.

TIM HENMAN: I think my expectations are lower. But, you know, I still think there's good opportunities out there. So, yeah, it's disappointing. But, again, I wouldn't, you know, put it down as the biggest setback right now.

TIM HENMAN: I mean, yeah, you do absolutely everything you can, but there are times when, you know, it doesn't matter who you are, there's nothing you can do. When he unloads on forehands or backhands, he's hitting the corners, there's nothing you can do about that. I think that was something that, you know, I knew could happen. I certainly wasn't going to let it frustrate me because that, as I sort of talked about, is kind of out of your control. But then, you know, you're keeping your fingers crossed that he's going to miss some, and he absolutely does that. So, yeah, he's a tough guy to play against. No doubt about it. But, you know, when he's stringing it together, he's one of the most difficult to play against.

TIM HENMAN: It's difficult to say. I mean, he's a classic example of how the game has changed. I think when you play in conditions like that, when it's at night and it's obviously a lot colder, his margin for error is much greater because the balls aren't flying as they can do out here. So, I mean, yeah, it's a difficult one to predict. I wouldn't really spend a great deal of time dwelling on that. But, no, I appreciate that, you know, I want to -- as I said, I want to, you know, start playing more tournaments and start winning.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think so. You know, you look -- we were discussing it the other day. You know, even if you go back probably '98, '99, you just felt -- not necessarily the Slams, but in some of the other tournaments, you felt like you were going to not play your way in, but you'd see a draw and you'd feel like the first couple of matches, you felt very comfortable. It doesn't always go that way. But that doesn't exist any more. Especially early on in the year, when everybody is playing, the depth is obviously so great. You know, that is the challenge. I don't have a problem with that. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. I feel healthy. I want to keep playing better.

TIM HENMAN: Well because, I mean, you know, I look at a match like this and, you know, I played okay. You know, I think it's a match I very easily could have won. I don't necessarily think my game, you know, has to improve massively, and I will start winning. But I still think I can play quite a lot better. If I do that, then it will be -- you know, then it will be interesting to see where that puts me.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, there is. If there wasn't and that was the case, you know, last year for a large majority of the time, then I wouldn't do it because it's what I've always -- it was what I always enjoyed doing. I still view there are a lot of challenges out there. You know, there was no question that, you know, I had some difficult times last year. That's why I said I think it's important that I'm -- I'm going to judge myself on a year, not just a week or a month or the first few tournaments. There's a plan in place. Then if I do all the right things and, you know, it doesn't feel like I'm making progress, then I would ask myself questions. That's why, you know, from right now through '06 I'm going to be doing the right things.

TIM HENMAN: Not at the moment, no. I never said "never." No, I don't have any plans to.

TIM HENMAN: I expect to be, yeah.

TIM HENMAN: No doubt, Neil, and I don't pay any attention to it (smiling).

TIM HENMAN: There's been plenty of those, haven't there (smiling)?

TIM HENMAN: You know, with my standards and how you've watched it all for the last X number of years, it's not -- I wouldn't say it's easy. My sort of level of expectation has been in the top 10, and I'm not there now. But you don't achieve what I've achieved without, you know, having that competitive instinct. You know, that's what motivates me. You know, I have the belief that, you know, I'm going to improve my game, and my results are going to get better. You know, it's part of being, you know, a professional player in this environment. If there are other people that have their doubts and are going to be second-guessing, that's fine.

TIM HENMAN: Who knows. You know, if somebody -- if somebody, you know, was going to say, "No, you're not going to get back into the top 20," or something, you know, I might not do it. You know, there's no one to tell you that. And I believe, you know, I can get back to, you know, playing some good tennis. You know, as I said, who knows what's going to happen. You know, would you have said I was going to make the semis of the French? Probably not. But that's sport for you. That's why, you know, I want to give myself that opportunity because I didn't have that opportunity last year with my lack of health. As I said, I'm feeling in good shape. I'm going to be mentally resilient and I'm going to work hard.

TIM HENMAN: It is. It's been a familiar scenario. Not just in this sort of particular point in my career. You know, I don't have an issue with that. That's fine. But that's not what I believe.

TIM HENMAN: (Laughter).

TIM HENMAN: What do you want -- I don't know what else there is I can say.

TIM HENMAN: It's my job to prove them wrong, isn't it? Yeah, that's fine. You know, I don't buy into that. I'm going to do all the right things. Then, at the end of the year, if I feel like I've done all the right things and I'm not satisfied with that level, then I would sort of have to think, you know, long and hard about it. But, you know, right now, it's not in my thoughts.

TIM HENMAN: I'm not putting numbers on it.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I'll go back home and I'll be playing Zagreb.