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ATP MASTER SERIES MADRID

October 19, 2006

Tim Henman

MADRID, SPAIN

Q. Where do you start? It was kind of a remarkable match in many ways. It kind of didn't end very prettily for you, did it.
TIM HENMAN: Not great, no.

Q. What was your reading of how it kind of turned a bit sour at the end there, Tim?
TIM HENMAN: It's a couple of points here and there. To turn the match around and play as well as I did to get in a position to serve the match, that was where it really is -- I played good first point, first serve and back to 15 all. I think 15 all was the critical point.
I hit a perfect serve into his body. He probably hit the luckiest shot of the match. I had no play on that point. Instead of being up 30-15, I'm down 30-15. Even then the 5-5 game, I played some good points. Likewise so did he when he was down the break points. Hit a couple of good serves, and he hit a really good stretch volley on the 30-40 point. Don't get me wrong. It's frustrating. But those last few games, a lot of tight points. Whereas I won my share of them earlier on, he won his share.

Q. It's very unusual to see you get involved as long as you did at the end of that third set.
TIM HENMAN: Yeah.

Q. We saw it of course. Could you take us through just exactly what the conversation was. Could you just take us through it from your perspective.
TIM HENMAN: A classic example of the 5-4 game when I served the match. It was break point and I thought I hit a pretty good forehand. And I just looked at him and said, "Out." And he said, "Yeah, out." So that's good enough for me. And then 15-30 in that next game, he had hit the kick short serve wide. I'm lunging because it was close. He said to me, "How was it?" And I said, "Well, I thought it was in." He asked me what I thought. I said, "Yeah, I thought it was in." He said, "Well, you didn't give me first serve." First serve at 5-5, 15-30 when I think your serve was in? I think he's in a dream world.
And so then he starts questioning my sportsmanship. So I think if we're going to go down that road, there's only one winner in that debate. So I think that's all there is to it.

Q. Did you let that get to you at all? Did you feel that was anything behind the result in the end?
TIM HENMAN: No. Because what happened on the 15-30 point, I played one of the best points of the match. And then likewise the 30-40 point, he hit another great serve, a repeat serve. I hit a return that's going down on the line.
So no, I don't think that. You look at a couple of returns he hit in the 6-5 game. He hit a couple of clean winners. I saved a match point. I got back to game point.
If I was a betting man, I would say my shot was in on match point. But that's the way it goes. Sometimes they go in your favor, sometimes they don't. I don't for a second question the way I've been playing the last few weeks. It's been fantastic. I think I adapted well to the conditions. I think that court is probably 25-30 percent slower than the other court because it hasn't been used. I didn't really feel that was in my favor. The number of times I was able to chip and charge today was so much fewer.
So, yeah, I can't really complain about the level of tennis. The first set, it took me a while to get used to it. But I think he served very consistently. And then, yeah, I played very well after that.

Q. You seemed unhappy with some of the bounces on the court as well.
TIM HENMAN: It's not very good.

Q. Kind of putting this little run into perspective, you're playing Basel next week. Do you think that's going to be the conclusion of the year?
TIM HENMAN: Yeah. It's been good.

Q. You've got to go up to mid 30s next week.
TIM HENMAN: Yeah. It's been good. Don't get me wrong. It's been very good. I've played some really good matches.
I think whatever I do in tennis, whatever I do in my life I always think I can do it a bit better. These last three weeks have been no different. I served the match against Srichaphan and I served the match here. That's very evident. No, there's no question that I feel a hell of a lot better than I did say post-U.S. Open.

Q. From the way you've played recently, Tim, how far back up the ladder do you think you can get?
TIM HENMAN: How long is a piece of string? Who knows? I've got to stay healthy and I've got to keep playing the way I have been. There's no question that these few weeks the conditions have suited me really, really well.
Are there conditions where it's going to be even tougher? That's going to be the challenge for me not only physically in terms of my tennis but mentally whether I can keep that level of effort as high as it needs to be because the standard is not getting any less. That will definitely be the challenge in the new year.

Q. How do you think your standing compares at your best now compared with two years ago, your best season?
TIM HENMAN: I think it's getting closer. I just think my overall consistency. I don't think there's much difference in the level that I've played this week. I've played some fantastic tennis.
In the two matches I've won a set and a half, the second set, and half the third set was again very, very high. But I think I probably did it a bit more often in 2004. That will be something I'll be looking to try and improve on.

Q. It did improve his level significantly from 3-5 down for the second match in a row, in fact.
TIM HENMAN: I think he's a tough guy. He's not one of these guys who is a great front runner. He's able to raise his game when there's less expectation, when he's got nothing to lose. I didn't see the end of the match yesterday. But he certainly cut out the unforced errors at that stage. You look at some of his past matches, he's done well to dig some of them out.

Q. Can you recall the last time anyone called your sportsmanship into question?
TIM HENMAN: I think there's a first time for everything. Thanks.

End of FastScripts...

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