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U.S. OPENAugust 31, 2007Tim HenmanNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK THE MODERATOR: Questions for Tim. Q. Was there sort of consolation having been involved in a pretty attractive sort of match? TIM HENMAN: Not really. But I think it's probably -- I think it's a reflection of why, from a tennis point of view, probably I'm retiring from the game. I think you look at -- you know, you look at Tsonga's style of play, I just think he's a classic, modern day player. I think that's where it's become harder and harder for me to compete. You look at the way he serves, the way he hits his forehand, his athleticism, it's phenomenal these days. But, you know, there's a lot of other guys like that around. That's where I think with, you know, some of my issues, back issues I've had, getting older, it gets harder. You know, I think he, yeah, played three pretty good sets tonight. Q. Decent finish to your career. TIM HENMAN: Well, yeah, I mean, I don't -- I think the Davis Cup seems to be a pretty big focal point of mine. Sure, you know, this is a Slam, it speaks for itself. You know, I still feel that, you know, there's a lot of preparation to be done for that. Playing at Wimbledon I think is going to be extra special. So I appreciate that this is my last tournament, as such. But, you know, I certainly don't view my career ending now. I want to really get some good preparation on the grass, play as well as I can in that weekend that time. Q. Is there a place on tour for players who serve and volley as you? TIM HENMAN: I think there is, but I don't necessarily think it's perhaps the way that, you know, I have done it sort of in my career. I think I've been a sort of genuine serve-and-volleyer, whereas I think these days, the way people serve, you look to sort of crush a serve as hard as you can and then you run in behind it. If it comes back, you volley it. I don't think it's necessarily such a combination anymore. But obviously with I think the nature of the conditions and the balls, it's definitely becoming harder and harder to do, and, therefore, I think less and less people are really being taught it and encouraged it at a young age. Therefore, you've got an event here with, you know, 128 male players, and there's going to be very few guys that are serving and volleying. Q. And is that something to be lamented? TIM HENMAN: I think, yeah, I think it is sad because I think everybody knows that watching contrasts of styles is what makes a good spectacle. That's not to say there hasn't been -- I mean, you look at the tennis today, there's been some phenomenal tennis. But I just think that if serving and volleying, you know, chipping and charging sort of becomes extinct, I think that would be a bit disappointing for the game. Q. In a perfect world, you have the opportunity to watch two players playing tennis, who would those players be as a match-up? TIM HENMAN: Taking myself out of the equation (smiling)? Q. Yes. TIM HENMAN: You know, Edberg -- I was always a big Edberg fan. You know, Edberg playing Andre Agassi type, contrasting styles. You know, Rafter was great to watch. I mean, that was what I kind of grew up watching and to a certain extent trying to emulate. When I was practicing with Edberg in London, I saw it firsthand, how good he was at that. No doubt that had a big impact on my development. But I think, you know, again, the game has just moved on so much from there. Q. Did you know this year at the Wimbledon Championships that that would be your last time? TIM HENMAN: No. I said after I lost at Wimbledon that, you know, I expected to be back to play there the following year, 2008, but I didn't really sort of expect to feel the way I did when I started playing on hard courts again, and to sort of go through some of the issues that I did. Yeah, that's when I definitely really contemplated it for the first time, when I was practicing back home, and then when I was playing in Washington. You know, I had to ask myself a few questions. Then I looked at the schedule. You know, this event and Davis Cup, at Wimbledon, at home, I think it just -- it sort of fell into place. I feel so comfortable with it. It's still a big decision. You know, when I drove in on Thursday morning to really make the announcement, we were coming in the car, and I said to Paul and Jerry, my trainer, I said, Am I playing the final today? Because I was pretty tight (smiling). I felt like I was more nervous in a tournament for a long, long time. There's no doubt it's a big decision. But it's one that I do feel very comfortable with. I said on the court, you know, I'm very excited about the future, as well. Q. You're not a guy that shows emotion. Is there any emotion out there tonight or is it still unfinished business? TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it doesn't really feel like I'm finished. It's my last tournament, but I feel like the Davis Cup is a big event, and so it doesn't really feel -- I can't honestly say like I've sort of finished my career because I'm going to go back and have a few days off, but I'm going to be in the gym, I'm going to be practicing, getting back on grass and preparing for that. It doesn't really feel like I've finished just yet. Q. What will you do tonight? TIM HENMAN: Uhm, yeah, I mean, not a great deal. I mean, I'll just try to get out of here tomorrow or something. Yeah, I think that's probably a reflection of why I don't think it's finished because I think after I finish at Davis Cup, then there will certainly be a few celebrations. Q. Was it good to play on a court like that in front of a crowd like that, go out with people sort of shouting your name? TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's a fantastic atmosphere. It's definitely playing under the lights, as well, on a big court with a great crowd. Yeah, I think, again, it's tough to sort of take all those things in right now, but I'm sure in the future, and I'll definitely be back at Slams, I'll definitely be back at Wimbledon. I'm sure. I'll come back to these tournaments, as well. When you've really stepped away and you're not participating, I think that's when you'll appreciate so much the atmosphere. I don't think that can ever really be replaced. Q. Is it possible for someone as competitive as you are to feel that they've maximized their talent? Are you leaving the game feeling that way? TIM HENMAN: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I think it's actually quite simple really. I think, like anything, if you give a hundred percent, you give it your best, whatever you're doing all day, every day, whether it's in the gym, on the practice court or in matches. What more can you ask for? If someone is expecting you to give more than a hundred percent, it's quite difficult to satisfy that. Q. It's not a results-based thing in the end? TIM HENMAN: Well, what is success? Who's going to be successful at this tournament? Is there only one guy that's successful? Only the winner? Does that mean there's 127 failures? That's not the way I view it. Q. Compared to maybe this time last week, do you feel in better shape for the last challenge of your career? TIM HENMAN: When I left Cincinnati, I definitely was a bit concerned that, you know, I wanted to really make the most of this event and then Davis Cup. I just thought, you know, I really want to just be playing pain-free. These two matches were -- you know, I was disappointed with the result tonight, but it was great to be out there playing, being able to play the way I want to play. Whereas, if I'm playing in pain and my back is stiff, that's when I can't serve and move properly, and that's no fun. So I was definitely a bit concerned after Cincinnati, you know, whether I was going to be able to play or play pain-free. Fortunately, I was. I'm 99% sure that then going onto grass, that's definitely a good transition. Q. Are you generally more optimistic about the team's chances? TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think so. You know, it's good news for everyone that Andy looks like he's turned the corner - mentally and physically. You know, who knows what's going to happen with their team. I think there's a few uncertainties. You never wish injury on anyone else. But if Ancic can't play, you know, that is an advantage for us. I think he's a good grass court player. I think he's kind of important to that doubles team. Yeah, I think things have improved in the last couple of weeks. Q. Do you think it's going to be a challenge for you to kind of deal with the emotional... TIM HENMAN: At Wimbledon? Q. Yes. TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I do. Q. How do you think you're going to do that? TIM HENMAN: I don't know (laughter). I think there will be a few tears, yeah. I think that's when I'll feel that I am, you know, finishing my career. I'll be closing a chapter of my life that's dominated, been such a big part of my life. As I said to you guys earlier, I feel like I've been a professional for 26 years because I knew -- I made one career decision when I was probably five or six; I knew I wanted to be a professional tennis player. I didn't know whether that was realistic or what lay ahead, but it has, it's been such a big part of my life. I'm sure it's going to be much more emotional than it is probably right now because I don't feel like I've finished. We'll just have to wait and see. Q. Have you been greeted in the street by people saying, Don't do it? TIM HENMAN: Yeah, just sort of bumping into English people around. There are a lot of people -- obviously I hear it in the court, "Don't retire," on the practice court, "Don't retire. We love watching you." Q. How does that make you feel? TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I mean, it's great. I think I've always -- I've always kind of felt like -- I've always felt appreciated that people have liked watching me play. And I've always had fantastic support. But it is, you know, it's pretty special when there is that kind of reaction. But, unfortunately, it's not going to change my decision. Q. When is the baby actually due? TIM HENMAN: Middle of September. Is that vague enough (smiling)? Before Davis Cup. I mean, it's going to come when it comes. Let my wife down or my country down (smiling). Is that all right? Can I be that vague then? Q. You competed against many generations. What has been the toughest opponent for you? TIM HENMAN: It's Roger. There's no doubt. And, again, you know, that is a reflection of how the game has changed. You know, that's no doubt when you're playing Sampras on a grass court, a quick grass court, it's incredibly difficult to play against. But the difference is, when you're playing someone like Pete, he could serve, you might not make returns for three or four games, but you just felt like you keep doing a good job on your serve, you could hold serve and get to 4-All, 5-All, 6-All. That's when conditions were quicker. Now with it being I think considerably slower a lot of the times, you know, when you're playing Roger, every game is a struggle. And you look at his scores against some of the players. You know, the number of guys that he's had 6-Love sets against, I think it emphasizes how all-around his game is. Yeah, I would definitely say he's the best player I've ever played against. Q. Did you say the semifinal you got to in Paris was probably the most surprising result of your career? TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think so, yeah. It's very difficult to try and judge them, which is better, more special, where I played better. I think, yeah, in terms of pleasant surprises, I think for me to have made semis at Roland Garros is something I'm very, very proud of. If some of you would have seen my first match at Monte-Carlo, my first tour level match, it wasn't pretty, it wasn't pleasant. Playing Galo Blanco on one of the outside courts. Then for me -- that was probably '96. For me then eight years later to have had the wins I had, to go on and make the semis at Roland Garros is definitely something I'm proud of. Q. What's the best you've ever played? TIM HENMAN: I think the best overall is Paris, the Masters Series, when I won. I think for the consistent level of tennis. You know, Basel I played some -- I remember one year only dropping my serve once the whole week, making Roger cry in the final. That was pretty special (smiling). I have to remind him of that every once in a while just to keep his feet on the ground. But, yeah, no, those weeks, I think. But Wimbledon, some of the matches, just in terms of experiences and atmosphere, there's no doubt they're always going to be top of the list. Q. The match you lost to Ivanisevic, the biggest disappointment, biggest opportunity you think you missed? TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's a difficult one, isn't it? I don't feel like I did a lot wrong. Playing a match over three days, dealing with the situation, I really -- I don't second guess myself. But in terms of disappointments, I would say, yeah, that is the biggest disappointment. But, yeah, I don't -- that's probably one of the questions I get asked most, about that match. I think you'd be surprised how much I don't dwell on it. It's not something that keeps me awake at night. It is what it is. Played a great match. I lost my serve twice in five sets. I think he served 35, 36 aces. Boils down to a couple of points. Not a lot more I can say or do about it. Q. If you were not retiring today, but starting your career, would you still choose serve and volley? TIM HENMAN: I would still use parts of it. I mean, I'd like to be, you know, probably three or four inches taller, and 20, 30 pounds heavier. But there's no doubt that if you can take player's time away... I think almost the chip and charge aspect is more effective than serving and volleying. If you serve, your serve lands on the service line or before. But if you chip and charge, you get your approach shot to the baseline, you can get in way better court position. So that's where I think it is an incredibly effective tactic. And everybody hates it. You know, that's where you give these guys no rhythm, you take their time away every second serve, you come in, no one likes it. But I think, you know, when you are actually trying to serve and volley, you look at the way, you know, even someone like Mirnyi, he's struggled, but the guy is 6'5", he's serving 130 plus all the time, and he's still struggling to hold his serve. In conditions like this, this is probably one of the fastest tournaments we play now. So, you know, you put him on a slow hard court, just out and out serve-volleying is unbelievably difficult. Q. Is there one match that you can reflect on now, the way you played, gave you the greatest satisfaction? TIM HENMAN: Vittorio asked me that at the beginning of the tournament. I was coming out with some obvious ones. He was like, No, no, no, you've got to go away and think about it. I think one of my most enjoyable matches, which is ironic, was against Galo Blanco at the French in 2004 because I just think after him having obviously beaten me, I think he beat me 2-2 in Monte-Carlo, then for me to beat him, I think I won 6-1, 2, to see the look in his face in the second and third sets, and know the level I played, it was one that -- it's not such an obvious one. Just the level of play on clay, to use all the different variations I had. Q. On Court 2, wasn't it? TIM HENMAN: Yeah. That's one that is a slightly different one. I mean, there's obvious ones, much more important and bigger matches, whether I beat Agassi in the final of Basel or beating Roger or Roddick in Paris indoors. But in terms of just quality of play, and slightly unusual circumstances, on a clay court, that's one that sort of I've thought about. Q. What was the biggest disappointment with the press? TIM HENMAN: Oh, geez (smiling). How long have you got? Uhm, you know what, I think when I reflect on my career and I look at the years and I think as the year consists of 12 months, I think it's probably not quite fair just to judge it on what happens the month of the grass, because I don't necessarily think that's a fair reflection. Some of the stuff that goes on then, you know, is pretty crazy. But it is what it is. I don't lose any sleep over that either. But, you know, when I look round the room, I see the tennis press that I've been associated with, I would say absolutely I've had a good relationship. There's no doubt we've had our ups and downs. But I have no qualms about it because I think, you know, we're lucky that tennis in the UK is that popular. You know, maybe it's changing a bit with Rafa now, but the Spanish journalists, they've had so many players, and there isn't the same attention. We're lucky that we have that focal point in the game. I think it's disappointing that we haven't really been able to capitalize on it from a development point of view. With this amount of interest, with this amount of coverage we have on the television, with the BBC, with Sky, we should be a lot better. With the money we've got to invest, we should be a lot better than we are. That's where all these people have a part to play. Didn't necessarily always agree with what they write, but c'est la vie. End of FastScripts |
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