US OPEN

September 9, 2004

Tim Henman

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's never easy. I mean, rain delays are one thing, but when you've got to sleep on it overnight, it's sometimes not the best night's sleep. Having said that, I just felt that I was in a good situation. I'd played some great tennis last night, and I felt in the night match when I played against Tabara, I didn't feel so comfortable with the conditions. I felt, you know, things were a little bit heavier and slower and I felt like he was dictating things. So against Hrbaty, I wanted to make sure that I was very, very aggressive and got off to a great start and won the first set really easily. You know, second set was tough. We both played some good tennis, and to save those two set points and then be up two sets to love, I did feel to be in a very strong position.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's great. It just goes to show how quickly things can turn around. Because as you guys knew, I really was struggling on Sunday, Sunday morning. I thank the order-of-play staff, I thank them again for giving me that extra 24 hours. It did prove pretty critical. Now I'm here in the semis, my first semis in, you know, New York. I'm very, very excited about it. Playing Federer is going to be a pretty special match.

TIM HENMAN: Hmm...

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I'll sign up for that now. Again, it's turned around so quickly. I've talked at length about my performances in Grand Slams outside Wimbledon, and, you know, I said that they have been somewhat disappointing. I've been in the 16s on a few occasions here and likewise in Melbourne. I felt like I needed to go further. You know, in two Grand Slams, my last two Grand Slams outside Wimbledon, I've got through to the semis. It just goes to show how quickly things can turn. There's no point in, you know, no point in stopping now. I'm playing good tennis. You know, I'll see what I can do over this weekend.

TIM HENMAN: I think it's an important aspect because I've been able to remain pretty relaxed on the court. It's still a difficult concept because, you know, this is new territory for me, my first quarterfinal in New York. I didn't want to, all of a sudden, start putting extra pressure on myself. So I think that was evident in the fourth set today, because it would have been easy to get a little bit frustrated. But, you know, beginning of the fourth was crucial. Those types of conditions, I think, just emphasize to me even more the way that I needed to play. Because the end of the third, I thought he was, you know, hitting the ball very cleanly from the back, was playing in the conditions really, really well. I didn't really want to keep giving him that rhythm. So it was pretty clear that I was going to come in at virtually every opportunity, and I think with, you know, my ability at the net, it was obviously a good decision.

TIM HENMAN: I've just got to keep playing the tennis that I have been playing. I've got to try and play my style and, you know, there's no question that this is the toughest task in tennis right now, playing Federer. He's the No. 1 player. He's had such an incredible year. But I think then that should just add to the fact that I really don't have anything to lose and, you know, even more to gain. It's a great opportunity, and one that I, you know, am looking forward to already and I'm going to make sure I go out there and enjoy it. If I have that type of attitude, then there's a good chance I can play some good tennis. If I can do that, then, you know, I've beaten him a few times in the past and hopefully I can beat him again.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it was strange. And, again, Paul and I talked sort of before the match about a few variables, and that was one of them. The way that he sort of expressed his feeling was that, you know, this is, you know, treat it like a practice match. I've been hitting the ball well. Go out there and swing away. Try and play your style and if you do that and have that frame of mind, then I think we both fancied my chances. I think that was evident with really the way that I started.

TIM HENMAN: I think I'm feeling surprisingly good physically. I do feel very, very fresh and that's obviously a good sign. I've got a day off tomorrow. So you need to be fresh because, you know, it's my first time in this weekend of the final weekend of this tournament. You know, I think it's a pretty bizarre situation to play potentially semifinals on Saturday and finals on Sunday. So I think from a mental point of view, this, again, is something I talked about at the French when I did better there, it's so less mentally demanding for me, the Grand Slams outside Wimbledon. So it definitely just emphasizes how much more relaxed I am and hopefully that can be of benefit to me.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I'll probably go. I haven't seen her today or yesterday, but I'll probably go and see her tomorrow.

TIM HENMAN: A little bit. I think it's also to do with one's sort of expectations from within. I think when I've been healthy and had very good preparation and I know how well I can play, I think sometimes I put a little bit too much pressure on myself. You have an injury like that and suddenly your expectations are thrown out the window because you just don't know whether you're going to be able to play. All of a sudden you're more relaxed on the court, play a bit more freely, and play some good tennis.

TIM HENMAN: Well, it was much easier at the beginning because I felt my back was bad. I think my back feels pretty good now. So that was what I just had to be aware of, that even though I was feeling good, I wanted to just try and have the same attitude. It is, it's not -- it's something that I need to continue to work with more and more so that I can, you know, try and be like this on a regular basis in tournaments. You know, when I was playing in Cincinnati and Toronto, it was just mental torture on the court. I'm just trying so hard and I'm struggling for each and every game. I think that's a lot to do with the mental aspects of it. Whereas if I can just try and, you know, keep being pretty calm and composed on the court and having fun out there, then I'm playing much better.

TIM HENMAN: In the second set?

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think it emphasizes that point a lot because there's just, when you have those big points, you don't really want to treat them differently but you're going to make decisions about the way you're going to play them and you're going to back yourself. That's what I did. I played some really good points at critical stages. When you're getting into this part of the tournament, that's obviously vital, because the opportunities in those crucial points are going to be the difference between winning and losing. You know, you miss one of those points and suddenly we're a set all, and we stop at a set all, 4-5, I lose the third set, I'm down two sets to one and it's going to be an uphill battle. I think that was critical in the context of the match.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I don't know how many more chances I'll get. But I'm giving myself an opportunity. That's absolutely all you can ask for. When you've got to the last four, then, you know, you obviously are playing some pretty good tennis. I couldn't be happier to be in this position and, you know, we'll see what happens come Saturday.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I mean, it was. It's really, really difficult and it's swirling around, makes throwing the ball up and just sort of general play very, very difficult. Having said that, when I had -- I played my match obviously on grandstand. That's the most sheltered court. Then I came in, watched the last four or five games of the Ashe court and I couldn't believe, you know, how much windier it was. So, you know, it's a difficult day for everyone. You have to find a way to get through it. I think with my style, it's much easier when you're at the net, hitting volleys. It's much easier than trying to hit passing shots. That was pretty evident with my game plan.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it has difficult aspects. I still wouldn't change a great deal about it. This always will be my favorite tournament. I've had, for my level, I've had a lot of success there. It's always been the one tournament I've most wanted to win. I've got to keep trying. My game's obviously improving, and I'm learning different things, whether it be mental or physical. Just have to see what happens.

TIM HENMAN: Absolutely (laughter).

TIM HENMAN: I've obviously, you know, been fortunate that I've played some really good tennis in those matches. I think we talk about the style of play that most people play, I think if you're giving Roger time from the baseline, he's got so many shots and so many good shots, he's better than everyone at that. And I think that's where I just need to make sure that I'm, you know, aggressive and try and give him less time. If I can do that, I think that's what gives me the best chance.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I'd like to think it would be a little bit easier on a hard court than a clay court. My style is, you know, there's an element of risk in it on any surface. But I think, again, it's highlighted on clay. The line between sort of success and failure of being that aggressive is very, very small on clay. You know, whereas on a hard court, I think, you know, you get a little bit more help with not only the court surface, the balls here are a bit quicker. So, yeah, I think I've definitely learned. I went through a bad spell losing all those games in a row. I'd like to think that, you know, if things turned around, then I'd be able to deal with that a little bit better. But certainly I think, again, just the experience of being in a Grand Slam semifinal there and that being on a clay court has been very good for my confidence in general.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, definitely.

TIM HENMAN: I'd like to play it, you know. I want to get out there and soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the whole occasion. But I think, again, if it's like this, then we have to deal with it. I've played a lot of -- I've played in a lot of conditions in my career. Playing in the wind is something we deal with in Australia quite a lot and I've had success there, so we'll just have to wait and see what weather's in store.

TIM HENMAN: There you go. You heard it.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's very difficult. It was very, very difficult. But as a said, I think the grandstand was probably the best court to be playing on because it seemed like it was sheltered more than the others. Just looking at the way their shirts were moving on the Ashe and the net and how they were having to adjust so much for each and every shot, I think ours was the best of a bad situation.