QUOTE
Speculation that the most successful British male player of the modern era is about to retire has increased with Tim Henman's decision yesterday to pull out of next week's tournament in New Haven.
Henman still has a bad back which has been limiting his practice, sapping his morale and transforming competition from something he enjoyed enormously into a complete and persistent pain. This emotional change has been matched by a difference in his words here this week, when he seemed to admit the possibility of imminent retirement. Usually he is obstinately resistant to such an idea. Now he was downbeat and pithy.
Asked what he would still like to achieve in his career, Henman mentioned next month's Davis Cup and the US Open only; asked if he could talk beyond this season, he said "No". His lengthier comments made clear why he may be considering how best to call it a day.
"It's just, you feel like you're just playing in pain most of the time, because playing on the hardcourts is always going to be pretty tough on the body. And, you know, I've done it for a few years," he said.
This is utterly different from the defiance he showed at Wimbledon, both with words and deeds. "In Wimbledon, because I'm playing on grass, it's much softer," Henman explained. "I felt very good then. It's just adapting back to the hardcourts. You know, from the tennis point of view it's fine. I'm just finding it hard physically."
When it was suggested he might avoid hardcourts, Henman responded: "What does that leave you if you don't play on hardcourts? Clay. Yeah, you know, clay is always going to be difficult for me. So it's always been a surface that I've had my best results on, but it's hard when you're out there competing and playing a pretty high level of tennis."
Unfortunately it is not only his back which makes Henman feel this way. His ranking, currently 92, is about to fall below 100, denying him automatic places in most ATP Tour events. He would need to play Challenger events and qualifying to get back, and in his condition and at the age of 33 he is unlikely to do that.
These considerations brought the retirement of his career-long rival Greg Rusedski four months ago. Henman may be considering whether, like Rusedski, he might soldier on to a Davis Cup farewell in April. Much may depend on next month's tie against Croatia at Wimbledon and whether Britain returns to the world group. If they do, Henman might consider a farewell at Wimbledon, via a wildcard.
Asked directly how much longer he would continue, Henman said: "I appreciate that I'm nearer the end of my career than the start. But I've got this, the tournaments coming up, the US Open . . . and Davis Cup is obviously a big priority. So, yeah, I'll sort of take it in those sort of segments and see how I feel."
Roger Federer again looked fallible as he reached the last eight of the Masters Series event in Cincinnati. His opponent Marcos Baghdatis had four set points in the first set before Federer won 7-6, 7-5. Even with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick beaten in the tournament, the Swiss world No1 was disappointed in victory. "It's a bit of a struggle," he said.
In the doubles, Jamie Murray and his partner Mahesh Bhupathi suffered a comprehensive defeat to the top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan in the second round. The American brothers eased to a 6-3, 6-2 win over the Scot and the Indian, who are playing together on a trial basis after Murray's split from his former doubles partner, the American Eric Butorac.
Henman still has a bad back which has been limiting his practice, sapping his morale and transforming competition from something he enjoyed enormously into a complete and persistent pain. This emotional change has been matched by a difference in his words here this week, when he seemed to admit the possibility of imminent retirement. Usually he is obstinately resistant to such an idea. Now he was downbeat and pithy.
Asked what he would still like to achieve in his career, Henman mentioned next month's Davis Cup and the US Open only; asked if he could talk beyond this season, he said "No". His lengthier comments made clear why he may be considering how best to call it a day.
"It's just, you feel like you're just playing in pain most of the time, because playing on the hardcourts is always going to be pretty tough on the body. And, you know, I've done it for a few years," he said.
This is utterly different from the defiance he showed at Wimbledon, both with words and deeds. "In Wimbledon, because I'm playing on grass, it's much softer," Henman explained. "I felt very good then. It's just adapting back to the hardcourts. You know, from the tennis point of view it's fine. I'm just finding it hard physically."
When it was suggested he might avoid hardcourts, Henman responded: "What does that leave you if you don't play on hardcourts? Clay. Yeah, you know, clay is always going to be difficult for me. So it's always been a surface that I've had my best results on, but it's hard when you're out there competing and playing a pretty high level of tennis."
Unfortunately it is not only his back which makes Henman feel this way. His ranking, currently 92, is about to fall below 100, denying him automatic places in most ATP Tour events. He would need to play Challenger events and qualifying to get back, and in his condition and at the age of 33 he is unlikely to do that.
These considerations brought the retirement of his career-long rival Greg Rusedski four months ago. Henman may be considering whether, like Rusedski, he might soldier on to a Davis Cup farewell in April. Much may depend on next month's tie against Croatia at Wimbledon and whether Britain returns to the world group. If they do, Henman might consider a farewell at Wimbledon, via a wildcard.
Asked directly how much longer he would continue, Henman said: "I appreciate that I'm nearer the end of my career than the start. But I've got this, the tournaments coming up, the US Open . . . and Davis Cup is obviously a big priority. So, yeah, I'll sort of take it in those sort of segments and see how I feel."
Roger Federer again looked fallible as he reached the last eight of the Masters Series event in Cincinnati. His opponent Marcos Baghdatis had four set points in the first set before Federer won 7-6, 7-5. Even with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick beaten in the tournament, the Swiss world No1 was disappointed in victory. "It's a bit of a struggle," he said.
In the doubles, Jamie Murray and his partner Mahesh Bhupathi suffered a comprehensive defeat to the top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan in the second round. The American brothers eased to a 6-3, 6-2 win over the Scot and the Indian, who are playing together on a trial basis after Murray's split from his former doubles partner, the American Eric Butorac.