TMS MONTE CARLO

April 19, 2000

Tim Henman

Q. He is a very talented player without any doubt. Having said that, you may well be disappointed having got back into it; let it go again?

TIM HENMAN: Exactly that. I felt like he was obviously dominating things to begin with. But in one instance it turned around very quickly for me from 4-2 game point down, I won 7 of the next 8 games to be up 3-1; then I get the breakpoint and miss a passing shot by just a little bit. But then that is where I have got to make sure that it doesn't then turn around for his advantage and that is the first frustrating aspect, that it is just a couple of good shots from him, a couple of unforced errors, then suddenly from there only being one winner in the third set, it is back on level terms.

TIM HENMAN: I don't know a great deal about his past, but this year he has obviously been playing well. He has won a title on clay and he is obviously very, very comfortable at home on clay, but the situation that I got into, there was no doubt I should have won the match.

TIM HENMAN: Well, it was a lot better than I had been playing from 6-2, 4-2 I was getting the balance right of being aggressive, but being consistent and not making those unforced errors. And my biggest problem is that that is a very fine line and I have got to keep being aggressive, but that doesn't mean taking unnecessary risks, and my first serve percentage dropped and he starts to be more consistent and he gets the second wind there, he is hanging in the match, when I got on a roll, looked like I was down and out, but to his credit, he hung in and gave himself a second chance in the third set.

TIM HENMAN: I don't think so. I haven't really got that far. I will concentrate on the doubles here and see how that goes, but I know that I have got to keep working on the practice court to get the level of play consistently higher.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, no, I think with the way I am playing on all other surfaces I am capable of dominating players and obviously for the seven games that I played better, I can dominate people on clay. But it is -- the problem I have is when that level drops a fraction to keep playing aggressively and if that consistency isn't quite there, then it is very, very difficult and that is, as I have always said, that is the challenge for me. I think when I am being dominated on clay, that is when I struggle. I find -- I do find it difficult to turn things around, but I am definitely capable because I got back into a winning situation.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, no.

TIM HENMAN: I wouldn't say he is at his most comfortable at net, but from the baseline he's got a great backhand, forehand, hits with a lot of topspin able to -- moved me around the court so, yeah, he is not a straightforward guy to play.