WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 6, 2002

Tim Henman

TIM HENMAN: It was definitely a good start. When you play someone of his stature in the game I must admit, it felt a little bit strange that we were playing in the first round and normally certainly the last two years that we played here there's been kind of a big buildup to those semifinal matches. So yeah, it was a different type of match. I don't think the easiest situation for either of us, but definitely pleased from my point of view to come through.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I did. I felt like I needed to obviously serve consistently, but also when I had the chance in the back of the court trying to make him move as much as possible because that's obviously an area coming back from injury that he's struggling a little bit with.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think. I felt like that was the best way to exploit his mobility. And not only when you go to the forehand sometimes, you know, opens up the backhand to try and attack, and come in. But whatever the tactic was, I think most importantly the execution of my shots were good.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah.

TIM HENMAN: It's difficult. I think he's the one that can answer how he feels, you know, physically, whether there's pain or whether he's just a little bit slow because he hasn't been able to train as hard as he would like. But I felt like where he has been so good in the past for quite a tall person he does move well and come back from sort of being outside of the court. But I did feel like I was able to exploit his movement when instead of just playing up and down, I felt like it was better to play, you know, slightly shorter angles, and get him off the court. I think he was a little bit slower moving to that shot, and if it came back then I felt like there was a bigger gap to hit the next one.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think when you are not moving as well as you would like, it changes the dynamics of the way that you want to play. And certainly I think in a funny sort of way, the longer the point went on perhaps it was more in my favor which certainly wouldn't be the case in previous years. And I think when I was serving as well, again, trying to get him off the court and then use my volleys.

TIM HENMAN: I think there are those ways of thinking and, you know, I try to think of the positive things for myself and the negative things for him. I feel like irrespective of losing a very disappointing match last week, you know, I feel like I have been playing well and, you know, it's not an easy situation for him being defending champion and trying to find his way back from injury, which clearly after last week he's still struggling a little bit. I think everybody hopes that, if you are not playing him, he really makes 100% recovery because I think he's so good for the game.

TIM HENMAN: I think in the heat when it's being very hot in the day it bounces, still bouncing around quite a lot. But there's been a weather change overnight, and the balls didn't seem to be flying as much today, and I think when it is a little cooler definitely felt like it was standing a little low. If it heats up again, I think that's when the ball is certainly pretty lively. But last week was a quick court, I thought. I think this one is a little bit slower. Probably a little bit fairer.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, you know, I feel like again, you are trying to adjust your game to the conditions. If it's staying low, then that's obviously going to make my slice effective and chipping and charging, probably that is a little bit easier for me and harder for the guy passing. Perhaps it makes the kick serve not quite so effective.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think it just goes show how well he played. But I think even in those conditions, still saw some great tennis and I think with the court at that speed it probably does add another dimension to the game because I think we have to be careful that the balance doesn't swing too much the other way, that all the courts become very, very slow and it really limits the style of play that you can effectively play. You can serve and volley on any surface but obviously if it's very, very slow it's going to make it difficult. I think the balance - we probably got these two weeks is something that is about right, and probably could be continued in the indoors because I think the indoor courts are very, very slow.

TIM HENMAN: Oh, there's absolutely no question that it will be faster. I haven't seen the courts. And we haven't played on them yet, but from what most people say it's probably in between this week and last week. And, you know, I am saying honestly barring the clay, Wimbledon felt like the slowest court that I played this year.

TIM HENMAN: Not really, no. I thought the Queens courts were, you know, were as immaculate as they always are and they tend to be a little bit slower than Wimbledon. And in the first day or two when they were green and they were as expected but you found in years gone by that the court speeds up as they get a little bit more worn. But this year it was the opposite, the balls -- add the balls into the equation the courts got slower and the bounce got higher which is kind of an alien reaction on grass.

TIM HENMAN: Not that they admitted to, but speaking to a few other people that were in the know, I think the way the -- what is the word -- composition is the wrong word -- the makeup of the soil was a little bit different. Funny enough I think they said that it contains more clay which is a bit (inaudible--

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I feel very, very comfortable here. And, you know, there are plenty -- Wimbledon being a good example, a place where you have had lots of good results and you get a very, very good feeling when you come back, I think that adds to your confidence. You know, unfortunately there's probably a few places that you don't feel so comfortable and you have had bad matches and bad losses and that's the one that you have to -- you have to try and turn around, but certainly coming back here I feel I have played a lot of good tennis and I want to try and continue that this year.

TIM HENMAN: Well, yeah, better results than I have achieved there because I think with my game and with the surface, that fourth round is not particularly satisfactory and it's certainly a big goal of mine to try and improve on that.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, any win is a good win, and as I said irrespective of the way, you know, Guga is feeling physically, it's great to beat someone of his caliber and as he's defending champion, it's a good start for me and I want to try and build from it.

TIM HENMAN: It massive. It get bigger and bigger all the time and I think as I keep improving my game and continue to work as hard as I do, then I think it becomes a more and more realistic opportunity for me. And certainly I have put myself in the position here a couple of years ago to win a Masters Series, and Indian Wells this year so I'd like to give myself another opportunity.