Henman: Battler or bottler?

Henman is focused on the job in hand at the All England Club

Tim Henman has become a perennial focus of British summers since his breakthrough at Wimbledon in 1996 when he reached the quarter-finals.

Eight years on, many believe he has his best chance yet of finally emulating Fred Perry, the last home winner in 1936.

But can Henman really land the big title he craves so much?

Battler
By Matt Majendie

Every year, Tim Henman is rolled out for his pre-Wimbledon press conference and every year he insists he can win.

Within two weeks a nation's promise is in tatters and groans galore emanate from SW19 as the plucky Brit bows out.

Call me naive but this time the signs are different, despite the Queen's hiccup.

Ask any of his peers for starters and they'll agree he is one of the most accomplished players on grass - self-confessed the best volleyer in global tennis - and a man they'd all prefer to avoid at Wimbledon.

With a new coach, new ideas and a new game plan Henman has a chance Roger Federer Federer hails Henman

Added to that is the new-found confidence he has picked up since joining forces with Paul Annacone, the former coach of Pete Sampras.

A month or so ago, Henman didn't even get a mention in the list of French Open contenders, especially after falling two sets down to Cyril Saulnier in the first round.

But round after round he defied the odds and flummoxed even the more accomplished clay courters with some sublime play.

What was most apparent was the fist-pumping nonsense of past Wimbledons had virtually gone - in short, Henman the bottler had been replaced by Henman the battler.

Such was his ability to bounce back from precarious positions, his style of tennis was more Hewitt-esque than anything.

So he arrives at Centre Court - within an easy commuting distance of his family home which always seems to relax the Brit - in the form of his life, fully fit and with his confidence full to brimming.

Add to the fact he'll be playing on a surface he revels in far more than the clay of Roland Garros, surely a first Grand Slam title is beckoning.

Bottler
By Charlie Henderson

Not many things are certain in sport, but Henman cracking at the crux of his campaign is a surefire bet.

Of all the present players on show Tiger Tim has the best record of all at Wimbledon, but it is hardly something to roar about.

The devil's in the detail of those statistics.

Henman has made the quarters or better in seven of his last eight outings at Wimbledon. He's the model of consistency.

Pete Sampras made seven Wimbledon finals and lifted the trophy every time. He's a model champion.

He's going to reach the semi-final on his very, very best day Boris Becker How will Henman fare?

The British number one has wowed the crowds in the last six months, particularly with his efforts at Roland Garros. But those efforts were true to form.

He had Guillermo Coria beaten in the semi-final only to lose 13 straight games. When he got a second bite of the cherry to level at two sets all he lost his serve.

And then there was Queen's - enough said.

As well as juggling with the mental aspect of the game - his loss of concentration is notorious - Henman is also battling age.

At 29, time is running out. Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic won the title at the same age but that was before the young guns of Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt had matured.

They have taken centre stage and for all the bluster of the media and the obvious improvement in Henman's game, they have the beating of Britain's best.

So instead of putting your hard-earned cash on a home win, how about an early exit? A first-round loss in Paris was de rigueur before this year and the wheel could turn full circle in SW19.

Hopes of a home win have never been higher, but be warned, when expectation peaks is when Henman normally doesn't.

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Have your say
Is Henman a battler or a bottler? You told us your views on the British number one's Wimbledon chances.

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Well said Sarah Maloney, I quite agree, it is about time we all applauded Tim for his fantastic achievements over ten years mostly as a top 10 player in the world. We should get behind him, wish the very best of luck at Wimbledon and hope that he avoids Leyton Hewitt (the only player he may have to worry about, he has beaten Federer, Roddick etc on several occasions!). Good luck Tim.
Chris Telford, UK

Shame on the British Press for hounding a great player and a greater sportsman, he is a role model for kids to emulate. Tim at is best is a sight to behold. Let's not make this great game only about winning and losing. Enjoy his sublime play!
Sudhir Kekre, UK

I have to reply to Zoe's comments about Tim Henman's lack of trophies being down to Pete Sampras. Exactly how many of his quarter- and semi-finals at Wimbledon were against Sampras? I think Tim is a bit of both, he does battle well, but when push really comes to shove he either bottles it (ie Coria, Ivanesevic in 2001- blame the weather if you like but Ivanesevic was on the back foot) or he's just outplayed. OK, he's improved this year, but then look at the way Roddick, Federer, Grosjean et al are playing... looks like he'll be outplayed again I think.
Indy, UK

Tim Henman's gonna choke it again. He'll get to the semi final, and everyone will get all patriotic again, Henmania will hit a high and then he won't be able to handle the pressure. He just isn't good enough to win Wimbledon, this year or ever.
Luke Robbins, Britain

It's interesting to note that everyone thinks that with both Roddick and Federer in the draw, Henman hasn't a hope. Yet Henman has a winning record against both. His game has come on leaps and bounds after linking up with Annacone, who talks his language. He has the attributes, now he needs the luck.
Young Siward, Ireland

I think Tim's calibre gets him, at the very best, to the semis. There is way too much being read into his wins at the French. Mdas, USA

Henman is the only reason people tune in to wimbledon and has been for the last seven years, this year is a great chance for him again and to be fair he has never 'bottled it' in years gone by he has just been beaten on the day. And if Federer or Roddick take him out again this year too good! But as Tim showed at the French, he is a battler, and I reckon this is his year.
Greg Johnstone, Leeds, England

Henman had one of the easiest draws imaginable at the Paris open, playing the world's nos. 91,71 and 94, before Chela who is ranked 23. The only top 20 player he played was Coria and, while he did quite well, he choked at the key moments. Henman will be lucky to make it to the quarter finals this year unless he gets the kind of draw he got in Paris.
Renji Sathiah, Spain

Anybody who can beat 4 of the top 20 players in the world (paris last year) to win a quality tournament can't be called a bottler. Tim hasn't hit his greatest form this year other than in a few patches. If he really gets on a roll then watch out world!
Nigel, UK

The difference between the good and the great is the management of pressure. By my reckoning Tim is good, but never destined to be great. And let's not blame the media - pressure is pressure whereever it originates.
Robert Crisp, UK

I'm not sure he's a bottler, but he's proven over the years he hasn't got the mental or physical stamina to take a slam, and he hasn't got the game either. One of the myths about Henman is that it is the pressure and hype at Wimbledon that has stopped him winning. This ignores two things. First, Henman actively encourages the hype by talking himself up. Second, his modest record elsewhere shows why. One end of season Masters win against jaded opponents and the recent French Open semi-final when the best player he had to get passed was Chela is as good as it gets in 11 years on the tour.
Ross, Scotland

I've watched Tim since 1993 and the improvement he has shown this year is remarkable. Since winning the Paris Masters he has shown he can really mix it with the best, and crucially, come out on top. He has had good chances at Wimbledon before and lost because he has met strong opponents in the earlier rounds, however, many winners of Grand Slams need a degree of luck with who they are drawn against. Let us hope that this year that luck is with Tim and not his peers!
Danny, England

The fact is that Henman is a world class player who has been in the top ten of his sport for donkey's years. He is one of the top grasscourters around, of course he has a chance of winning it but we shouldn't crucify him if he doesn't. As to him being a bottler, he has won matches he had no right to, particularly twice in the French when two sets down. When he loses, it is because he is outplayed, not because he bottles it.
Tom, UK

Can anyone name any athelete under as much pressure as Tim Henman at Wimbledon? Unlike David Beckham, he isn't back by a team of 10 others. He is on his own in the spotlight for 3 hours or more every match. Yet he rises to the occasion year after year. He plays his absolute best at Wimbledon but has been unlucky enough to be part of the same era as one of the greatest of all time, Sampras. So give Tim a break! I still believe he can do it.
Zoe, UK

Everyone says that in order for Tim to win Wimbledon he will have to play his very best. Not only has Tim never managed to do this for the duration of a tournament, he has never managed to it for the duration of a match. Losing your grip on a match for even one set is the difference between a great player and a champion and the reason I believe Tim will never prevail at Wimbledon or any Slam. As a Brit, however, it goes without saying that I hope I'm wrong!
Shona Hay, USA

Henman's chances of winning Wimbledon are higher this year than ever before, granted, but his two main obstacles will be Federer and Roddick. Any person who could bet against either of them needs to think again. I predict that the Briton will go as far as the semi-final one more time. Conclusion: Henman will never get his hands on that trophy. Are we all clear folks?!
Angela, Glasgow

Forget all the hype and look at the facts. Even on his supposed best surface he is still unproven, jeez even Wayne Ferreira has a better record. Fluffed volleys at crucial times do not make a wimbledon champion.
Matt, UK

If Henman loses Wimbledon it will be because he got beaten and didn't lose. Hewitt, Grosjean, Federer and Roddick can't expect him to crack at a crucial point in the fourth or fifth set this year. It is those guys who have to be at their best to beat Henman in 2004.
Jeremy Butler, USA

To rashly dismiss Tim as a "bottler" is unfair. Of all the matches he has lost at Wimbledon, there is only one that he should have won, and that was against Ivanisevic in 2001. In his other semi-final defeats (twice against Sampras and once against Hewitt) he was simply beaten by the better player on the day. That is not choking, that is sport. We should be proud of his achievements, not constantly belittling him for not going the final mile. A Henman win is unlikely, but not impossible. Fairytales do happen sometimes, just ask Goran!
Mary-Caroline, London

The draw is a "banana skin" for all the top 16 players. Anything can happen to anyone. Trouble is, like at Queen's, I can't see Henman making the second week. I know it's easy to be wise after the event but I think Tim would have been better losing early in France, doing better at the Stella Artois and peaking at Wimbledon.
Paul , UK

I can say without apology that I have no expectations of Henman winning this year at Wimbledon. My assessment of Tim is that the probability of a win is inversely proportional to the size of the tournament - ie. Wimbledon big, probability small. Not that I do not acknowledge the tremendous results that he has brought in over the years, it's just that Grand Slams elude him and will in all likelihood continue to do so until we remove this needless pressure on him to win Wimbledon.
Ian Rozario, SW19, UK

Henman's problem is that he always has to make life difficult for himself. He never seems to be able to kill off a match, he's just not clinical enough for my liking. He went into Queen's over-confident and paid for it. He's got a great serve & volley game, but doesn't serve enough aces for my liking. I can't see him winning Wimbledon unless Federer, Roddick, Hewitt and Grosjean all get knocked out early on.
David Cowan, UK

It is easy to be an armchair critic, to sit and watch and say well Henman should have won this match or that match, but rarely these days does he lose. If he doesn't win a match it is very often because his opponent wins the match - not because Henman loses it, there's a very big difference between the two. He can win Wimbledon, but we will have the inevitable Henman rollercoaster, it's just not summer without it!
Alicia, England

Why do we insist on tearing to pieces our sportsmen? Tim is a top 10 player in the world. How many people can say they have been that consistent against other incredible players from all over the world. Why is this not enough in itself? He has earned the respect of his fellow professionals so why does he not have ours?
Sarah Maloney, UK

It's now or never for Tim. If doesn't win this year, he'll never win. If he avoids playing Federer or Hewitt, I like his chances.
Nick, USA

Henman is definitely a bottler - he has had the opportunity to prove himself on so many occasions.. I think I could have beaten him at Queen's this year.. not a great start to the grasscourt season!
David Matthew, UK

Matt Majendie is clearly one of these fair weather tennis supporters who turn up to Wimbledon every year and harp on about Henman for two weeks (or until he's knocked out) but take no interest in the sport for the other 50 weeks of the year. Any real tennis fan knows Henman can't win and won't win at Wimbledon.
David Selbourne, England

I think the two David's comments are way off the mark. Take a look at the opinions of the top players, they really fear Henman! He has proved his ability at the French, I think the Stella exit was a blessing, as he has 11 days to prepare for Wimbledon. He can do it, but he will have to be at the top of his game. One thing is for sure, he is not a bottler. He plays the big points as well as anyone in the world.
Glen Taylor, UK

I think Tim now has a wonderful, stronger physique and this, tied to fact that he is now a father, will stand him in good stead this year. I think he can win Wimbledon.
Jeff Scholey, BWC

A Masters series title last year and semis at Roland Garros. It looks like he's heading in the right direction to me.
Howard Sunderland, Vietnam

Henman can definitely win Wimbledon. With his new coach and his confidence after the French Open higher than ever, he will do it this year.
Rebecca, Belgium

We all know Henman is a great volleyer. No doubt he is the best volleyer in the world right now. He is a very consistent returner of serve and looks dangerous using the chip and charge tactic. The problem for me and it has shown in the past is the serve, especially under pressure. Henman looses serve just a little too often and lacks aces in his game that players like Goran, Sampras, Phillippousis, Roddick and Federer have. It means he rarely gets uncontested points. This could be his best shot at the title and maybe his last? It is now up to Tim to see if he can produce the serves when under pressure. Serving well is a key ingredient to winning Wimbledon.
Chris Thompson, UK

All that love tennis know that Tim has the talent and disposition to win; and let's hope that this is the year for him. I believe however, that the English media puts too much pressure on him. Good luck, Tim!
Alex, USA

Who knows how well he will do. One thing I do know is he is playing the best tennis of his life. So lets just support the guy. If he wins Great, if he doesn't then lets just congratulate him as the only current British tennis player who can beat the worlds best as proven in Paris last year in Masters and Roland Garros this year. Come on Henman.
Huxley, England

So any 'real tennis fan' knows Tim can't win eh David? I can safely say that I and many of my colleagues know more about tennis than you and we all agree that Tim has a REAL chance this year. Stay clear of Hewitt (take note the All England Club) and Henman has the beating of anyone else, Federer included. It's true a bit of luck wouldn't go amiss, but if he plays as he well can, the country may well have something to cheer on July 4th.
Simon Mundie, Uk