TENNIS MASTERS CUP- HOUSTON

November 18, 2004

Tim Henman

THE MODERATOR: First question for Tim, please.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think there's water coming up, forcing its way underneath. I mean, we drove back at about six last night, and I opened the door and there was water right on the edge of the car coming in. It was all flooded down San Felipe, which is the one that we take back. So I think the water is just forcing its way underneath, from underneath the court. There's a couple of cracks where it does seem that it's getting a little bit moist. There's one little spot on the baseline, the far end from the commentary boxes. It looks like there's just a little bit of the surface breaking up. So I think they need to just sort of patch that up to make sure it doesn't deteriorate.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I'm really pleased with my performance. I think the tournament deserves some weather like this (inaudible). In the lead-up to the tournament, I was trying to work out what I was going to wear. I sort of had a few long-sleeve T-shirts to wear underneath a T-shirt (inaudible). It was good to get out there and play, and play with discipline. Because it's another good example of how you have to really be clear in your mind about the way you want to play. He's obviously struggling with his serve. It's very easy to fall into a trap of saying he's serving slowly, so I must return, I must put it back in play. That's not really a particularly positive thought to have, and I don't think it's the right way to play against him. If you just let him dictate in the rallies, he can still be very, very dangerous (inaudible). Very pleased with my performance.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it is. We'll just have to wait and see how things unfold with their match today. But, you know, I've given myself an opportunity. I felt like this was going to be an important match, and I've given myself that opportunity. So, as I said, I'm looking forward to it. I feel that, you know, he's a form player right now, but I'm pretty happy with the way that I've been playing.

TIM HENMAN: No, I think one of the -- my forehand has definitely improved. I think a couple of things. I think I'm much more committed to the shot. And, you know, sometimes when I'm not actually going to choose the right shot, I feel like I commit to it a lot better and really go for it. Suddenly, you make a few that you're a bit surprised about. But I felt one of the aspects that I've done a lot better in these two matches is really hit over my backhand. If you remember back the last three tournaments indoors, I got very sort of negative on my backhand. I was just chipping and chipping and chipping. I'm going to be the one who's looking to make things happen. If that's really the way that you're playing, then I'm letting my opponents dictate too much. I've certainly tried to be a little bit more aggressive off that side and hit the backhand down the line to open up the court. You know, then hopefully it will create opportunities to attack off my forehand. You know, I think then if I can, you know, get into the net, I've been pretty effective.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, absolutely. I think the whole -- all aspects of being distracted, whether he's questioning a few line calls or he's, you know, struggling with his shoulder and can't serve as well as he'd like, I think the bottom line is they're all good signs for you. But as long as you still make sure that you're clear in what you're trying to do... Because, you know, there are a couple of occasions when I would chip the ball back and try and not make a mistake. But then I let him dictate. He's still very good at that. But, you know, I sympathize and respect him because he's out there trying his best when, you know, it's difficult coming back from a shoulder operation, as I can vouch for. It's only been a short, short period of time, and, you know, he's given it his best.

TIM HENMAN: It definitely felt better. When we played -- when I played Andy at night, it was very, very humid. It was definitely heavier. There was a little bit of wind. It was a bit gusty. But I would say today was really ideal. It was a nice, nice temperature. You know, very little wind. So it was better. I don't think it was, you know, massively different; it was different. But, you know, fingers crossed, it can stay like this for the rest of the tournament because I think it would give everyone the opportunity to showcase themselves pretty well.

TIM HENMAN: Yes, I needed to win this match to keep myself in the event. If you've lost your first two matches, then I'm pretty sure you're going to be out of it. So, yeah, I was well pleased to win because it makes my next match, you know, a great opportunity to try and win that and get through to the semis again.

TIM HENMAN: No.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah. I don't really -- I wouldn't say -- he's one of the few players, and I think there's obviously that language barrier, that I've never really got to know him and wouldn't say that I really speak to him a great deal. But, you know, my operation was a problem with the bursa. That's, I think as shoulders go, pretty straightforward. If I'm correct, he had a tear of his labrum, and he's had a nerve, they changed the position of the nerve. I think that's pretty major stuff. To be playing, to be hitting the ball the way he is now, was quicker than I was. But I remember just I think physically and then mentally it takes a long time to be able to trust it. And that is the obvious thing on the serve, because, you know, it's just like throwing. You've got to really be able to let your shoulder almost sort of come out. That took me, you know, took me such a long time. Middle of November I had the operation, and, you know, I talk about Hamburg being a time where I really felt like, "Well, I'm back playing." It's difficult, you know. It's a Masters Cup, he wants to be here, so I'm sure it's frustrating.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I mean he's -- I did look a couple of times. He's hitting 88, 84 miles an hour. That's probably, you know, if he serves 84, that's probably -- would have thought he's going to be serving at 110, 115 all the time, so he's 30 miles an hour, that's probably 40 percent down. I think, again, he can get some free points, but it just gives your whole game a different mindset. Likewise, if you're holding serve very easily, you suddenly start returning better. There is a connection, but there's no connection, if you know what I mean. Why, if you're suddenly serving that weakly, does it affect your return game, because you're just under pressure the whole time. And it is, it's hard. Playing in this event against the other best players, the top eight players in the world, it's virtually impossible.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah.

TIM HENMAN: It is, that's right. Yeah, I think it was Indian Wells the last time.

TIM HENMAN: I think still, you know, it is a long time. It's unusual that we haven't played a bit more than that, but I think I still wouldn't say there's going to be any sort of secrets. I know that he's got, you know, a big serve. He's very solid from the baseline. You know, I need to try and mix it up, make him move. You know, opportunities to get forward. So, you know, it will be interesting to see. You know, I give Andy credit. He serve-and-volleyed a lot more on the second serve. That was something that changed. But I'd be surprised if, you know, there was anything that I didn't really know when I played Marat in the last match. I've seen him play the last couple of weeks, and he's playing very well. But I don't think it will -- I don't think there will be any surprises.