ATP Tour World Championship

November 26, 1998

Tim Henman

Q. How does it feel, semifinals?

TIM HENMAN: I was a little bit concerned actually when I came off the court to make sure I had actually got through to the semis. But, no, it was a tough match, lots of changes in momentum. The first set was very, very intense. There weren't hardly any opportunities on each other's serves. Came down to the tiebreak. But I maintained my aggression all the time and was very positive. But for a set and a half, I think that's the best I've faced with regards to passing shots. I thought I was coming in on some good-length approach shots, heavy balls, and a lot of the time he was hitting it by me. I think I had to be stubborn. I had to persevere with my tactic and believe in that. That's definitely the way it unfolded.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah. He says nowadays when people say he's a clay court player, he just laughs. I think quite rightly, too. He can compete on any surface. Today, the way he's hitting the ball from the baseline, it's very difficult to deal with. He's hitting the ball very heavy, lots of topspin, it's kicking up high. Although I made quite a lot of unforced errors, I knew that that was going to happen if I was going to take risks and keep moving forward. You know, I was very pleased to come through with the win.

TIM HENMAN: I think so, yeah. The first set was crucial. I think that was probably the best tennis of the match. Having said that, the second set was a little bit more inconsistent. I was disappointed once I got my opportunity at 3-1 not to consolidate that break of serve. If anything, you know, I got a little bit nervous at the end of the second set. I had Love-30 at 5-6. Didn't hit two of the most impressive returns of the match. You know, he played a good tiebreak, a couple of good passing shots. The first few games of the third set were really positive for me. I took the initiative on a couple of big points, got up two breaks, wasn't going to let that slip.

TIM HENMAN: No, not really. I was trying to do the right thing, but I don't think my legs were really helping me, and the court, the court seemed to get very sticky out there. I think that happens. You get a bit nervous. Your feet don't move quite as well as you'd hope they do. Missed a couple of bad shots.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, you're definitely on top of him. The match is there for the taking. You look at the nature of the service games in the whole match up until then, there were very few really quick, quick service games. You have to concentrate on each and every point. Serving at 4-1, if I momentarily slip up, it's only one break, and that definitely puts the pressure back on me. I was really pleased to keep my concentration, keep my focus and finish the job off.

TIM HENMAN: Definitely. If we stand out there and rally from the baseline, there's only one winner. You know, early on, it took me again a little bit of time to find my rhythm. But definitely towards the end of the match, I was being very aggressive. It's those types of tactics that paid off.

TIM HENMAN: It has. It just goes to show that tennis throughout the year is a physically a very, very demanding sport, and schedule that we have. It is vital that you - talking personally - stay healthy. It's obviously not the easiest thing to do. You've got to be strong in a lot of areas. You have to have a strong game, you have to be strong between the ears, and you have to be strong physically.

TIM HENMAN: Sure, I played two and a half hours. Playing someone like him, you do your fair share of mileage. Definitely a little bit tired, but very satisfied making it through to the semis. There's still a lot more tennis for me to play.

TIM HENMAN: I think definitely before Wimbledon, I was struggling full stop. In some of the matches that I did lose or some of the opportunities I had, perhaps my concentration wasn't quite as good as it could have been. But I think that goes with confidence. Look at my results since Wimbledon. Barring the match against Kafelnikov perhaps in Paris, hasn't been too many slip-ups. That's definitely a good sign for me.

TIM HENMAN: That's right. Definitely takes the pressure off me. Definitely I don't like losing any matches. You know, it's a good situation for me to be in, having already qualified for the semifinals. But there's still a lot of tennis for the other guys to play, and a lot to play for. Greg does still have an opportunity. I think we all envisage him beating Costa today. Everybody knows we have a pretty healthy rivalry. As I said, I don't like losing any matches, but I think we'd be extra keen to beat each other.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah (laughter). It does, for sure. Every time we play in the same tournament, you know, there's attention on us both from a ranking point of view, British ranking, that is. We're both very, very competitive. Having said that, I think we both really look forward to the match. It's the World Championships. There's two British guys going to go out and battle for it. I think we both look forward to that.

TIM HENMAN: We're getting closer. It's not something I'm really spending a great deal of time thinking about at the moment. I feel like there's a pretty good chance that we'll be playing there this year.

TIM HENMAN: It is. There's a lot of positives for that. In the last couple years, I think both Greg and I have come a long way. I think at times we both feel like we want some others to come along and start taking the headlines away from us. Not that we don't enjoy it, but I think there's plenty of room for that. Hopefully in the not-to-distant future, we can get more guys coming up, coming through the ranks.

TIM HENMAN: We could play each other twice in three days?

TIM HENMAN: Yes, we could. It doesn't happen like that too often in a tournament. Who knows what's going to happen.

TIM HENMAN: We've played a lot actually. We've practiced quite a lot when we're both back in London at Queen's. As far as I can remember, for about six sets, there hasn't been any breaks. We played tiebreaks every time.

TIM HENMAN: I think it's been very level. That's the diplomatic answer, but I think it's the honest answer, as well. You know, the practice sets are still pretty competitive, as well.

TIM HENMAN: Definitely.

TIM HENMAN: That's right. Yeah, a couple of really big points. Having broken in the first game of the third, then I really had to hang on to my serve at all costs. I think it was that game that we had a really long point at game point. Eventually held on. As you say, to get a second break is a great cushion to have. To execute a shot like that on such an important point is satisfying, very satisfying.

TIM HENMAN: Yeah, it's tough for anyone else really to comprehend. It's a phenomenal achievement. As I think he said before, I don't think it's one that's going to be broken for a long, long time, if ever. I think it must be extremely satisfying for him, having spent such a long time focusing on this goal of his to achieve it. It perhaps hasn't materialized the way he would have expected, but I definitely don't think he'll be complaining.

TIM HENMAN: I've beaten a lot of No. 2 players. If it doesn't happen this year, to beat the top-ranked guy, it's definitely going to be a goal next year. No, for sure, my game is still moving in the right direction. I'm still very happy with the way it's progressing. I think '99 could be a very exciting year.

TIM HENMAN: I hope so. There's a few more spots to go after that. As I said, in the last six years, you look at my end-of-year ranking, it's only moved in one direction. This is a continuation of that. That's why I say next year I think it can be even more exciting because in reality, I've only played for six months of this year.

TIM HENMAN: Definitely. I can certainly say that's the next goal.

TIM HENMAN: The World Championships, I think everybody's got plenty to play for. As you say, I came in here ranked No. 9. I knew if I played well, I could continue that rise. As you say, Pete and Rios had their private battle. But, no, I qualified for the semis, but I still want to go further.