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THE STELLA ARTOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 15, 2006

Tim Henman

LONDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's proving to be some week for you?
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's been good. Obviously, the results are the important factor I guess. And, you know, to be playing as well as I have and to be feeling as comfortable out on the court is fantastic. I just want to, you know, keep building from it and, you know, see how much I can take out of this week.
But, you know, it does give me a lot of confidence.

Q. There hasn't really been any stage in any of your matches when you haven't been in control?
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, that's right. I think, you know, a lot of that is obviously based around the way I've been serving. I've been very consistent and aggressive with the way that I've served. I haven't really got behind in too many games and, you know, I feel like I'm getting on to my opponent's serve pretty early.
So, I mean, that's a good combination on any surface, but I think if you can get, you know, in the lead on grass, it's still a good position to play from.

Q. Can I mention the name Dmitry Tursunov.
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it doesn't -- it's obviously, you know, an interesting story for you guys, but it doesn't really bother me because I'll do as good a job as I can about, you know, playing the way I have been and concentrating on my performance.
And, you know, it's likewise. If I go out and play like the way -- go and play the way I have been, I think I've got a good chance of beating him. If I play like that and I lose, then I'll shake his hand and say, "Too good."
But I do feel very confident about the way things have been going.

Q. You must have had a wry smile when you saw it.
TIM HENMAN: It goes like that. I could have played Stepanek today, and I've played Stepanek, I don't know, seven or eight times in the space of a couple of years. You know, sometimes when you play these types of, you know, players over and over again, it can be in your favor. There's a lot of guys that, you know, I've beaten time and again. You know, Tursunov isn't one of them. So hopefully I can, you know, turn it around if I play him again.

Q. How close did you think you were in retrospect in Paris?
TIM HENMAN: I was very close I think in conditions that couldn't really have been any worse for my game, you know. I'm a volley away from being up a break in the fourth set. And, you know, as I said at the time, I think you've got to try to make him deal with some adversity. I was beginning to do that, but I still, you know, in the circumstances, had given him a two-sets-to-Love lead.
So if I were to play him again, as I've done in these matches so far, I'll try and make a better start.

Q. Is he someone you speak to much in the locker room, or do you not really know him?
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, no, no. I practiced with him. He was one of the first guys that was around to practice with on grass. I've always, you know, practiced with him a fair amount.

Q. What are you like against Wang?
TIM HENMAN: What am I like against him (smiling)? I saw him play a little bit on TV at the French, but I think Paul's been out watching to see what the scenario is with both players really. Obviously, we've got a fair idea of Tursunov. But, you know, the important factor is the way that I'm playing, and that's always a big aspect and a big focal point. So I'm going to make sure that I keep doing what I have been doing.

Q. You've experienced this week many, many times over the years. Does it feel any different this year coming into it in the situation that you are? Do you feel more relaxed?
TIM HENMAN: I don't --

Q. Are you at ease with life?
TIM HENMAN: I don't -- I mean, it's easy to be relaxed when you're obviously playing well and you're making life straightforward for yourself. You know, the talk of whether there's less pressure and expectation, I think there is. You know, how much impact that has, I don't know. I think I do benefit from it.
But, you know, I've had the conversation, you know, with Paul and people, and you guys have brought it up, and you talk about my, you know, demeanor on the court. You know, it wasn't so long ago, was it, that a lot of people were saying that I've got to use the crowd and I've got to get them fired up. How many times have I shown any of emotion so far this week?

Q. Not a lot.
TIM HENMAN: Nothing, no. I think I had a small sort of fist pump when I broke to go up 5-2 in the second set today.
You know, I think it's just about finding the right balance. And, you know, there will be times where I'll need a little bit more something from the crowd, or I'll need to get myself fired up a little bit. But at the end of the day you've got to -- you've just got to, you know, give yourself the best opportunity of playing each point as it comes, and that's what I think I've done very, very well so far.

Q. Regardless of the crowd's involvement or lack of it, do you still feel as though you are in a nice, comfortable position? There isn't a great deal of expectation, perhaps, on you. People are looking at Nadal, Roddick.
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, well, you see, I don't -- I've never -- it's good to hear because it's not something that I'm really aware of in the first place, you know. Even when it was all, you know, in years gone by when it would get pretty, you know, blown out of proportion, I still wasn't really that aware of it.
But, you know, I think the most important factor is, yeah, obviously how physically I feel on the court, and that's obviously I think easy for everyone to see because I'm moving well and obviously hitting the ball well.
I think that in years gone by, and certainly the last two or three years, I've struggled so much with, you know, the conditions and the style of my play. I feel that this year that's been the biggest change and obviously has had the biggest impact.

Q. Why do you think it's clicked in your head now?
TIM HENMAN: Just, you know, a bit more experience and obviously trying a few different things. And I think we sort of -- it was a good point yesterday that it's actually a short -- you do have a very short period of time to actually make some adjustments and, you know, to go from one end of the spectrum where you're serving and volleying on both balls, to suddenly say, Well, actually I'm not going to serve and volley at all. It's difficult given my style and given my nature to be able to do that. That's probably the factor that held me back the last couple of years.
But, you know, I'm doing a good job of still being offensive, obviously, but playing a slightly different way.

Q. Did you make any sort of presentation to get on early today?
TIM HENMAN: No, I didn't actually, no. I was just, yeah, happy when the schedule came out. It all fits in very, very well.

Q. So were we.
TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I'm sure (smiling). Yeah, I'm sure. Everyone was pretty happy. I was just talking to Roddick. He's on fourth. I said there might be six or seven foreigners that watch him play, but that's if the football is finished by then.
No, it suits my schedule well.

Q. What are your plans for watching the game?
TIM HENMAN: I'll just probably be at home.

Q. You talked yesterday about the changes you saw you needed to make. What input has Paul had? How has that evolved?
TIM HENMAN: Well, I mean, it's a learning experience for him as well because it's an adjustment from me on the court, but it's an adjustment for the way that he's trying to help me. Because I think we, you know -- it's changed in kind of our understanding of what works and what doesn't work. Because, as I said, it wasn't so long ago that grass court tennis was really played in one fashion. Certainly, with his own career playing the way he did and obviously having worked with Pete and now working with me, it's, you know, you have to adjust to that, and that's why it's called playing to the conditions.
So I think it's been a pretty interesting learning curve for both of us. But I feel, you know, very happy. I think the way that we've talked after matches and before matches, we feel that the balance is very, very good right now.

Q. You're getting that feedback. Andy came in and spoke about how he's not getting feedback and is struggling. Has he tried to sort of enlist more help from you?
TIM HENMAN: No, I mean, we've always -- we practiced together. We practiced before this tournament and we talked about different issues. You know, that's where I sympathize to a certain extent because it's in those moments in time when you are struggling a little bit where you would like a little bit of help.
But, you know, that's -- whether it's, you know, a good experience, bad experience, it's all part of the learning curve for him. You know, at this moment in time, you know, he hasn't got a coach so he's going to have to work some of those things out for himself and, you know, that won't do him any harm. And when the right opportunity comes along for a coach, then I'm sure he'll be excited about that.
But I for one wouldn't necessarily say there are too many options out there, and if he doesn't feel comfortable, then he should keep, you know, working things out for himself.

End of FastScripts...

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