WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2002

Tim Henman

MODERATOR: Questions.

TIM HENMAN: I don't feel great. I had some problems with my stomach. I don't know whether I've eaten something bad. I called for the trainer actually just before we went off for rain, and then obviously I took some things to try and settle my stomach. But when -- actually, when we were in the rain delay, I just sort of felt more and more tired, and I obviously wasn't doing anything. So then when I came back out, wasn't feeling particularly good. Suddenly, you know, after being 4-1 up, I lose seven out of eight games, and it wasn't looking pretty.

TIM HENMAN: I don't know. I've just been talking to Larry. I just kept saying to him, "I can't quite understand how I won that match." Because at two sets to one and 2-1 down in the fourth, I was out of there. But somehow the good old crowd got me going again.

TIM HENMAN: I don't know. I think obviously I picked up my game. I felt like to begin with I was struggling to hit the ball on the strings, let alone string together points on the second time round. But, you know, I think, you know, I just kept fighting for every single point. And, you know, it's amazing what you can do.

TIM HENMAN: Just fight. It was as simple as that. I don't think I was playing my best. You know, once the sun had gone down and we were playing in the shade, it was -- it felt very, very heavy. It felt like you were swinging at every ball sort of as hard as you could. So the conditions were pretty slow. Those first five games of the fifth set were so tight. I probably could have been up 5-Love; he could have been up 5-Love. As it was, you know, I was able to finally get that break at 2-All to go up 3-2. There was no way I could let -- you know, let anything slip. I just had to finish it there and then.

TIM HENMAN: Yes, everything - anything I could get. Because I was, I wasn't feeling particularly good and I was really struggling with my movement and just timing the ball. As you say, I was very grateful for some help from him. Massive help from the crowd, as usual. You know, I could hear them in and outside the stadium. You know, purely -- I think purely my determination and my sort of feelings for this tournament, you know, I just couldn't -- I couldn't accept going out on those sort of terms, really. Yeah, to be through to the quarters, it's a pretty amazing feeling right now.

TIM HENMAN: I don't know. I'm not quite sure whether -- as I said, whether I've eaten something bad or what. I just heard that somebody just said that a couple other players have had some stomach problems today. I'll probably be able to answer that question a little bit better tomorrow.

TIM HENMAN: You don't think I cannot lose to him (smiling)?

TIM HENMAN: Everybody expects, yeah. That's no different from any other match, is it?

TIM HENMAN: What difference is it whether I'm playing Draper or Bachelot or Ferreira? It's I'm expected to win. It's no different. That's the way other people approach the match. That won't be the way I approach it. I will be, you know, very, very focused on my game and worry about my performance. And if I do that, and play the tennis I'm capable of, I think I've got a good chance.

TIM HENMAN: How many double-faults he served (smiling). No, he's a good player. He's a very good player. You don't beat the players he's beaten. You know, I think I was a little bit -- I didn't quite know how he was going to play on grass. I don't know sort of what his grass court experience is. I think it's fairly limited. But in these types of conditions, on these courts, and certainly at the end, it's not fast at all. It's just playing very, very sort of mediocre pace. And that suits him well because from the baseline and his movement, he's hitting the ball great. His returning is very strong. And, you know, that was making life difficult for me. So, you know, irrelevant of his grass court pedigree, I'm just so pleased to have beaten him.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, beginning to (smiling). I've tried to sort of state that I'll take any help I can get. And when the competition is this tight, I have a few, you know -- you know, probably a few other influences that can help. And the crowd are phenomenal. It was pretty bizarre playing on the court when there was such a good atmosphere. But then you could sense and hear that there was -- I don't know if it was an even better one outside on the hill, but I was just -- I had -- I had to win, didn't I? Simple as that.

TIM HENMAN: As I said, you know, if I keep winning, doesn't really matter how I play, does it? You know, certainly I think I can return a little bit more aggressively. But having said that, when you play these guys that play from the baseline, you're never really getting a target. So do you stand in and, you know, hit your returns and miss one in four because you've been aggressive, or do you block the ball back and start these rallies? It's those types of things that you have to weigh up. It's obviously a decision that sometimes pays off, sometimes doesn't. You know, I can keep serving better. I can do everything better. But if I'm still alive, that is the most important thing.

TIM HENMAN: Well, in all honesty, as I said, it's about me winning and losing. So once the match has started, it doesn't really -- you know, it doesn't really matter whether I've got a coach or not because I've still got to get the job done. But having said that, in the last nine months, you know, certainly with my results, it shows that Larry's brought an enormous amount to my game. But there's still, you know, lots to go. My serving is way more consistent. Certainly in the conditions as it was to begin with, it was so windy, so blustery. Every shot you had to take enormous care of, you couldn't go for the lines, you had to play very solidly. I mean, the way I'm hitting the ball from the baseline, which is more relevant now than perhaps we would have expected, it is so slow. There's a lot of positive signs.

TIM HENMAN: Maybe. I don't know whether I can blame food here or what.

TIM HENMAN: I don't know really. I'm not quite sure why he gave me that. I think it was to try and kick start me into action. I wouldn't recommend it. They don't smell great (laughter).

TIM HENMAN: I think there was a big difference to begin with because, if you notice at the top of the stand and above where the roof is, there's a gap. It's not enclosed. So it feels like the wind comes in and is much more swirly. Centre Court I think is more sheltered. So you could see I think by some of the rallies, it was so difficult - the most difficult conditions I've played in at Wimbledon. But, you know, it's the same for both of you, and you just have to find a way to deal with that. And at times, I'm sure it wasn't pretty to watch. As I said, it didn't feel particularly good to play.

TIM HENMAN: Massively. I do, I just take -- you know, I take a lot of confidence from the way that I fought out there because, as I said, it wasn't -- you know, it was some good tennis at the end. It was probably exciting to watch. A bit too exciting to be playing in. But, you know, I just fought. I had to fight for every point. It was never going to be -- never going to be easy. And that's -- you know, that's what I'll take away from this one.

TIM HENMAN: No, I don't know. I've literally just come off and spoken to a couple of people. Fingers crossed, I feel better tomorrow.

TIM HENMAN: No, he cut his knee, didn't he? He cut his knee, so he needed to.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah.