THE STELLA ARTOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 10, 2005

Tim Henman

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

TIM HENMAN: It was, yeah. I was disappointed with my performance. I never really felt like I gave myself an opportunity to try and put some pressure on him. You know, losing your serve early in both sets is not where you want to be playing your tennis from. But I do think it's -- there's a valuable lesson today, because I don't - and I haven't - done a very good job of being as decisive with a game plan on grass as I am on other surfaces. And, you know, it's something that I feel so much more comfortable on with the way that I've played probably because we play more on indoors, on a hard court, on a clay court. But, you know, especially in today's conditions, when it was a little bit windy, it was cooler and playing a little bit slower, I think I need to be a little bit more selective. I was forcing my serve and I didn't, you know, make so many first serves, and that has a knock-on effect. Whereas I think if I had been a little bit more decisive to say, "I'm going to hit this serve to the spot and maybe come in on the second or third ball," I would have been a lot better off.

TIM HENMAN: I don't think it should be. That's what I find -- that's what I find frustrating. Because there are options, and I have options to my game. If I'm honest, I don't use my options as well on grass as I do on other surfaces, and I should do that. You know, against someone of Johansson's caliber, you know, with my style, I'm not just going to serve through him. I'm, unfortunately, not capable of serving like Karlovic or Guccione. Whereas, you know, I'm much more capable of, you know, serving consistently and then, you know, moving forward on shots instead of just trying to force my way through it. And I think that was a frustrating aspect for me. But in some respects, it's something that I definitely will take on board, and I will make damn sure that I do a better job of it at Wimbledon.

TIM HENMAN: It's not the end of the world, is it? I was frustrated, but I hopefully didn't hurt anyone.

TIM HENMAN: No, I don't think so. No, I feel, you know -- besides that I didn't play my best and he certainly played a lot better than I did, I don't think there's any issues with the way I've been hitting the ball. I feel very happy in that department. But, as I said, I want to really spend a lot of time working on the options that I've got. You know, I play Guccione yesterday, and it's clear-cut. You know, he doesn't return well and, you know, I can move around my spots on my serve, and I serve and volleyed pretty much all the time. That's the right way to play. You know, against Johansson, I didn't get that balance right, and that's something that I want to spend some time working on next week.

TIM HENMAN: Well, this is --

Q. Is that a misconception?

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's a big misconception now as we see how much the conditions have changed. But I think still, in the back of my mind, I still look down and I still see a grass court and I still see a kind of game that I was brought up playing with. But it's changed, and I've got to get that into my head. And I have a tough time -- a little bit of a tough time adapting to that, but I will do it. Because these are -- that's why I've improved my game so much, and it should be and will be such a benefit to me in the coming weeks.

TIM HENMAN: No, no, not at all. But it's just being, you know, committed to the way that you're going to play each and every point. You know, if that -- if, you know, the score or your feelings dictate that you're going to serve and volley on a first or a second serve, then so be it. If you're going to stay back on your first serve and hit the serve to a spot and then look to come in on the second one, then that's the right way. But it's about committing to that style, whatever it may be, on each and every point. And, you know, that wasn't what I did today.

TIM HENMAN: Well, I think in that respect it's a style of play that, you know, matches up better against Johansson. You give him a target, and he's so good with his return of serve. But I think if you can, you know, work his forehand a little bit and exploit his movement, it's probably a better option. You've got to look at the way the majority of the players play. You know, that's really the way it is.

TIM HENMAN: Hmm.

TIM HENMAN: What, that I played well or when it changed?

TIM HENMAN: I think 2001 I played some great tennis. We all know the scenarios of that event, but I can't remember exactly, you know, who I played. I beat Roger in the quarters, and I lost to Goran, obviously. But no complaints. In 2002, I, you know, I sort of backtracked those matches. 2002 seemed like it was a turning point for whatever reason.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I did. That's why it's a positive. I feel much -- okay, today aside, but the way I've been playing on grass, I feel so -- I feel very, very positive about the way that I can and will play. That's certainly a big positive coming into Wimbledon this year because I, you know -- upon reflection, I didn't really feel like I've played particularly well the last few years. But I feel much better about my game on the whole.

TIM HENMAN: Because I think I'm, you know, I'm getting -- I'm understanding the way that I should be playing a bit better. I think in those years, and certainly in the match that I played against Ancic last year, I don't feel like I played the right way. Against Ancic, it was a similar day today; it was cold, it was windy, and there I was, you know, serving and volleying both balls. I don't think that was the effective or the right way to play. And, again, it goes back to, you know, a mindset that I've -- it's probably been engrained about grass court tennis, having watched it and played it for so long.

TIM HENMAN: I should be able to do it.

TIM HENMAN: If I can do it on a clay court as successfully as I can, it's a hell of a lot easier - should be a lot easier - to do it on this surface than the transition that I've been able to make in my game on other surfaces.

TIM HENMAN: I know, yeah. It's pretty disappointing, isn't it? Yeah, it's great when you sit down in the locker room with Paul five minutes afterwards and you've got all the answers, yeah (smiling)

TIM HENMAN: In some respects I do. Purely the fact that, you know, we play on it so little. If you had an extra week I think just to be able to, you know, to play a little bit more, some more matches. Then you ask the question, "Why don't you go and play Nottingham?" Well, in the circumstance, I don't want to be playing the week before if I'm going to be in a Slam for a couple of weeks. I think five sets, you want to conserve your energy. But certainly if there was Queen's and another tournament and a week off, then I think I would benefit from that.

TIM HENMAN: Oh, it's certainly not in my hands, no. No.

TIM HENMAN: Well, I think it's an aspect that's been talked about, you know, lots. But whether that's going to happen or not, I don't know.