WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2003

Tim Henman

MODERATOR: First question, please, for Tim.

TIM HENMAN: Physically stronger than me?

TIM HENMAN: No, I don't think that was -- I don't think that's a relevant issue. I would certainly say that his standard of play, over the whole course of the match, was better than mine. I think if I break it down into aspects of the game, he served better than me. I think he served great. For a guy that's 5-9 to serve as well as he did and consistently well, was a huge aspect. Return of serve, he's very, very solid. You know, I didn't volley much, but I didn't think I volleyed particularly well. So in most aspects, I didn't match up well, and that is disappointing.

TIM HENMAN: I don't know if I'd agree with that. I think on my first serve, I've always got to be aggressive on that. I was always committed to going forward. But on the second serve, in these types of conditions, with the way some of the players return, if you're giving them a target constantly, I think you're playing into his hands. And certainly I looked at the match over last night and I was much more effective when I stayed back on my second serve, but then was aggressive. There's no good me staying on the baseline and then just trying to out-rally him. I have to then make that transition. That was something that I did, you know, I did a lot better against Nalbandian, but something I didn't do as well yesterday and today.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, surprised and disappointed, I think is the honest answer. Because I think certainly the way that he started off the match to be up 5-1, he was playing some great tennis. And as it was, to get myself back in the match, you know, the first set ended up being crucial, I think.

TIM HENMAN: It could have worked both ways. I think with the way he started on three of the four occasions, you know, he dealt with it better than me, I think. The beginning of the match to be up 4-1, break my serve again to go up 5-1, those two occasions he was much quicker out of the blocks. But then obviously the third time we came out, I started off very well. And, as I said, if, you know, the first set -- I'd take one of my opportunities in the tiebreak, then I can perhaps put a little bit more pressure on him. I think just given the nature of the way the match unfolded, I could never, you know, perhaps with the help of the crowd, I could never really make him feel uncomfortable enough.

TIM HENMAN: I think once I'd -- once I'd had my opportunity and then missed it, I should think he was pretty relieved that he won the first set. Obviously, 5-1 with two breaks, it's not a foregone conclusion, but you would have thought that, "He's gonna win that set." So, yeah, it was -- I think in terms of the outcome of the match, it was massively important.

TIM HENMAN: There's an element of that. I don't think I've denied that, that I felt like I needed to play some more matches. But having said that, the way that I played in my two matches prior to the Grosjean match, I felt like my form was, you know, was pretty much where I wanted it to be. So I think, you know, that didn't really have -- I don't think had so much of a bearing on today and yesterday's match. And I do, I give Seb a lot of credit, because I think he played better than me. But, you know, that doesn't really hide my disappointment and frustration at the outcome of today's match.

TIM HENMAN: Maybe. I think perhaps my chances are getting less. Still won't stop me coming back and trying.

TIM HENMAN: They've all been good opportunities. When you're in the second week of a Slam, it's a good opportunity for anyone. And I think you look at Roddick, Federer and Philippoussis, I think when you look at the way they've been playing and, you know, if I was in the semis alongside them, it's tough to make me a favorite ahead of anyone, any of them - with the way Philippoussis has beaten Agassi and the way he responded to come back against Popp. So, you know, I do feel with my own expectations and the way it's, you know, the way that the fortnight has unfolded, it's always massively disappointing to lose. And, you know, that the outcome of the tournament is, you know, is not really one of my priorities.

TIM HENMAN: I don't know. I mean,it's difficult to judge, you know, when, where or not my game would have been if I didn't have surgery at the end of last year. But that's part of being a professional athlete. I certainly don't use that as an excuse of, you know, losing today's match. But I think, you know, in the bigger picture in terms of my career, I've still got another four or five years. And in all honesty, I think, you know, with the attention that goes with these -- this sort of month, it sort of surprises me - my lack of results at other tournaments, because I think I've been very relaxed. I think I've handled the situation pretty well. But I think when I go to some of these other tournaments, I think I should be so much more carefree and relaxed about things. And I think my results would be better from that. That's something that I'll, you know, look to try and improve in the summer.

TIM HENMAN: Why the difference of what?

TIM HENMAN: I think, yeah, I think I probably put too much pressure on myself away from this tournament because I think you guys, you know, you guys know better than most of the circus, that is part of this event. That's not to say I don't enjoy every minute of it. I don't enjoy losing, don't get me wrong. But the atmosphere and playing on the Centre Court with the support that I have has always been the highlight for me. But I think when I'm away from this tournament and I'm playing in other big tournaments, I think I should be -- I think I should be doing better because there isn't that type of attention around me.

TIM HENMAN: No, absolutely not. The shoulder, there's still a lot of work that I do on a daily basis. But, again, my shoulder's been absolutely 100 percent.

TIM HENMAN: I wouldn't say that it's, you know, diminishing greatly. I think it's inevitable that as the standards are getting better, you know, I have to find ways to keep improving. And that's certainly not going to deter me from coming back, because this is one tournament that I desperately want to win and I've got to see if I can do that.

TIM HENMAN: No, it's always -- it's always something that has been there for the last, I guess, eight years, since '96 that I did well. And I wouldn't change any aspect of it. Well, I guess I'd change one, that I'd like other players to be competing at a high level. I think that's where -- perhaps Grosjean is a good example. That's where if you've got 8 or 10 players who are, you know, at the top of the game, at the Top 50, Top 100, I think it's good for competition within those sort of circles. And obviously it deflects some of the attention. But, again, do I have a problem with the attention? No, you know, I don't think it detracts from the way I play in any way, shape or form.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's a good question. I don't feel any sense of achievement. And I, you know, heard the other day that I think it was Connors and Sampras are the only guys to have made the second week for eight years in a row. So perhaps I should see some achievement. But right now I don't see a lot.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, absolutely. I've tried to state on a number of occasions that I won't travel with him every week because that's not what I want in a coach. I think I'm at the stage where, you know, I've got a pretty clear understanding of what I need to do. And, you know, I don't feel like I need somebody there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the events that I play. I think, you know, where he can have a bigger impact that we haven't really done before is to have quality time away from tournaments when we can actually practice. Because, you know, in the last month on the grass, the week where he's had the biggest impact, and I think he helped me a great deal, was the week before the tournament. You know, once we're into the event, I think that's where there's less and less of a coach to do.

TIM HENMAN: You've got to have belief, don't you? If you don't believe in yourself, then you've got no shot. So it's, you know, moments like this, it's difficult to accept. But it still doesn't detract from my belief in my own, you know, abilities, and the fact that I'll go away and improve.

TIM HENMAN: I think parts of my game. You know, I can keep improving. That's where you look at the young guys coming up. They're obviously the ones that make -- it's easier to make the big improvements. They're the ones that are setting the standards to a certain extent and, you know, it's my battle to keep improving.

TIM HENMAN: That's fine. What do you -- you know, if they don't, you know, if they don't believe in me and they don't think I can win, does that bother me? Not in the slightest. You know, there's plenty of, you know, criticism that goes with being in the spotlight, being in the firing line, but if you suddenly start worrying about what the critics have got to say, then I think you're going to be distracted. That's why, you know, if I was going to be -- if I was going to talk in terms of the way that I deal with the attention that goes with this month, I would say the positive is that I care very little about a lot of opinions about me. That's both positive and negative. I don't think you can, you know, suddenly if things are going great and lots of positive things are being said about you, I don't think you should get carried away with thinking you're the best thing since sliced bread and vice versa. If people, you know, don't believe in that and think that I'm not good enough or whatever, that's fine. It doesn't bother me.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think it's gonna be interesting because with someone like Philippoussis' serve, if he serves well, then he's got the ability to really hit -- hit Grosjean off the court. But on the other side of the coin, I think if his level, you know, drops fractionally and he's constantly coming at Grosjean, as Flip's style of play is, then it's going to be tough for him because Grosjean returns so, you know, so well. I think the match is a little more in Philippoussis' hands. If he serves the way he has been, then I think he's got a good chance. If his level drops and Grosjean starts getting a few looks, then it will be difficult for him.