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TMS - MONTE-CARLO

April 17, 2006

Tim Henman

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Tim, please.
Q. You've had a fair amount of success here, but what was the difference today? You've beaten Gaudio in Monte-Carlo, but not today.
TIM HENMAN: No, I think, you know, he certainly played better. In those types of conditions, I really feel that I've got to sort of play pretty much perfectly. And, you know, my level was sort of fluctuating too much. I played some good stuff, and then my level drops. And he's just playing very consistently but at a high level. That's why he's had the success that he's had on clay in the past.
Q. You broke back at the end. Did you think you had a chance of getting back into it?
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I mean, it was strange. I was obviously down 40-Love on his serve, and I think he relaxed a little bit and I played a couple of good points.
Yeah, you always got to keep competing on clay because you never know what's going to happen. But, no, on the whole, I don't think there's any complaints. He played better than me today.
Q. You're not going to get direct entry into the next two Masters Series on clay. What will you do, play some other tournaments, qualify?
TIM HENMAN: I don't know. I'll have to wait and see what happens with Rome. You know, there's a chance I might get in, but I'm not sort of overly concerned. I'll keep, you know, doing the work and see which opportunities I get in that time period and take it from there.
But, you know, definitely, definitely eager to play. If there could be a couple of guys pull out along with Agassi and perhaps Hewitt, Johansson, I'll be watching (smiling).
Q. I mean, did you feel as though you were -- how has your practice been on the clay?
TIM HENMAN: It's been great, yeah. It's been very good.
You know, I'm not -- you know, I'm disappointed, but not overly surprised. I think when you're playing someone like him, especially with my style, I've got to pretty much play perfectly in those conditions and I certainly, you know, wasn't really allowed to.
Definitely things that I can do better. I need to serve very, very consistently. When I've got, you know, those little opportunities, you can't afford to not take them. The service game at 2-1 was a good example. Get into a long, long game. But there's probably, you know, three or four points that I can't afford to lose - the smash, the backhand volley at deuce. You know, they're not necessarily the easiest shots, but on this surface against a player of that nature you've got to be taking those points.
You know, even the good points that you win, you feel like you hit three or four great shots and then you're back to square one in the rally, but that's the nature of clay.
Certainly, you know, it takes a little bit of time to make that adjustment. So, you know, as I said, I'll just wait and see what's gonna happen with regards to that schedule.
Q. You've enjoyed good times here. I mean, you've made the transition from this tournament pretty well over the years.
TIM HENMAN: Oh, yeah.
Q. A couple of times you've played an event before; this year you decided not to. In terms of what you have to do to be successful on clay - you've had the French Open semifinal - but what is the big thing for you in --
TIM HENMAN: Well, it's about adapting my game.
Q. -- imposing your style?
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, exactly. It's playing my game. But on other surfaces you can rely on more sort of cheap points. If you can hit big serves, you can take a shot on and get some help from the court. But when the conditions are pretty soft and relatively heavy, it just makes it harder. You've got to play, you know, such a clean game, and especially where with my game is of a higher risk on clay. You know, any error is accentuated.
But, you know, can I do that? Absolutely. I just think the fact is to play Gaudio in the first round, you've got to do it from point one and, you know, I probably wasn't able to do that today.
Is this a photo shoot or a press conference (smiling)? Is that enough now?
Q. Do you have a problem with it?
TIM HENMAN: It's just, yeah, normally, it's like a...
Q. You made the choice to play a bit of doubles here as well.
TIM HENMAN: Yeah.
Q. Who approached whom?
TIM HENMAN: I spoke to Andy on Monday or Tuesday. And, yeah, I'm keen to play because I think, you know, the more matches you can get and the more practice, you know, the better it can be. And, you know, the fact that I've certainly got to know him over the last year or so, it will be fun to be on the same side of the net.
Q. Have you spoken to him at all about Petchey and what happened?
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, yeah.
Q. Would you like to tell us about it.
TIM HENMAN: It's not really my place to go talking about it. But, you know, it's a scenario that's happened. I think it, you know, perhaps happened a bit quicker than we might have expected. But, you know, they did a lot of good things together, and I think from both of their point of views that's an important aspect to focus on, the success they had.
You know, it's Andy's prerogative and he will in due course make a decision, I'm sure, of what he wants to do, but that's up to him.
Q. Will you talk about other coaches with him?
TIM HENMAN: If he asks, yeah. Again, it's not my issue. I've got enough of my own issues to concentrate on. But, you know, if he wants my advice, and we've sat down and talked about different things, then absolutely I'd be there.
Q. When you've changed coaches in the past, has it been disruptive to your game? Do you find it takes a while to work out a relationship with a new coach?
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think if you're starting a relationship from scratch, then it's inevitable that it's going to take a little bit of time.
But, you know, as I said, whether that happens in a week or a month or a year, that's Andy's decision. I think that's really all there is to it.
Q. I know Rome is sort of still -- obviously, you may well get in, but given the fact that over the last 10 years or so you've always played here, Rome, Hamburg, what would you do if -- would you fit in anything else?
TIM HENMAN: I could write a column or commentate (smiling).
No, you know, there's plenty of things, you know. If I miss that, you know, block of tennis, it would be -- I'd be disappointed not to play there, but it's going to be a long year. There's going to be, you know, the week -- I think then I would probably play the week before, I would look at playing the week before the French perhaps. Then, you know, before you know it, you're in the French, you're playing Queen's, opportunity of playing Nottingham if I feel that's necessary into Wimbledon, then before you know it you can be playing a busy hard court swing.
So, you know, I'd like to play that, don't get me wrong. I'll stress that I really want to play Rome and Hamburg if the opportunity came. But if it doesn't, you know, I still feel there will be plenty of tennis left.
Q. It's never entered your mind at all to think, "Right, now I'll concentrate purely on the grass court season from now on"?
TIM HENMAN: No, no. I enjoy the clay too much and I really respect the foundation that it gives my game. It's absolutely ideal for my game because of, you know, the nature of the surface and, you know, how good it is for you physically and mentally.
So it's always been a great, great platform. You know, people talk about that different type of preparation where you bypass the clay, but, no, I've always felt it's been of great benefit.

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