The end of an era, Tim Henman to confirm retirement on Thursday.

Nick 0208 Ldn

News 24
Joined
Mar 10, 2004
Messages
23,721
Tim Henman is expected to confirm he is calling time on his career at a news conference in New York on Thursday.

Britain's Davis Cup tie against Croatia from 21-23 September is set to be the 32-year-old's final competitive outing.

The British number two and former world number four is currently preparing for the US Open, which begins next week.

Henman, whose wife is expecting their third child, has won just three matches on the ATP tour this season and is struggling with a back problem.

Interview: British tennis boss Roger Draper
Report: Retirement looms for Henman

His injury forced him to pull out of this week's New Haven warm-up event ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows.

"I still really enjoy practising and training and also playing matches," Henman told his website.

"It's just frustrating that my body has struggled to cope with what I've been asking it to do in the past couple of years."

The world number 92, who is set to drop out of the top 100 in the next few weeks, has not entered any tournaments beyond the Davis Cup.

Henman added: "Having a family has certainly changed the way I look at the world and also to a certain extent my priorities in life, but I would not go so far as to say that it has diminished my hunger for the game.

"I'm not fully fit, so my focus at the moment is to try to get my back sorted out and then to take it from there."

Henman has reached six Grand Slam semi-finals, including four at Wimbledon, and got closest to winning the title when he lost an epic semi-final to wildcard Goran Ivanisevic.

In 2003, Henman claimed a prestigious Master Series title in Paris, to complete his array of 11 titles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/6954442.stm



:(

Thanks for the thrills and the memories. Yu'll, Henmania will be missed.

How the LTA has made so little of a decade and more of Tim at the top of the game, it's...a real travesty.
 
The tennis scouting system in our country leaves a lot to be desired. It is no wonder that Britain only produce a select few individuals worthy of competing at the very highest level.
I wish Henman luck in the future.
 
One of the last classic serve and volley players left in the game.

Good player but could never live up to the unreasonable hype.
 
always felt a bit sorry for him. always had the huge expectations on his back. was never top class but was a good player.
 
Desert Eagle said:
One of the last classic serve and volley players left in the game.

Good player but could never live up to the unreasonable hype.
Click to expand...

He was one of the few remaining players with this type of game, but even he was forced to use it as a tactic less and less as his career went on, slower harder surfaces have all but done away with it

I don't agree with the unreasonable hype comment though. Henman had the game to win a grand slam. He was the best net player in the world at his peak. He'll always have to live with the fact he bottled it in 2001 against Ivanisevic, that should have been his year at Wimbledon. His run to the French open semi, losing after going a set and a break up against Coria, showed what a player he was, on a surface totally unsuited to his game

So, farewell Tim, a good career, but should have achieved so much more. But sport is a test of the mental as well as the technical and the physical, and so often he just couldn't cut that former trait
 
Brad Cantona said:
He was one of the few remaining players with this type of game, but even he was forced to use it as a tactic less and less as his career went on, slower harder surfaces have all but done away with it

I don't agree with the unreasonable hype comment though. Henman had the game to win a grand slam. He was the best net player in the world at his peak. He'll always have to live with the fact he bottled it in 2001 against Ivanisevic, that should have been his year at Wimbledon. His run to the French open semi, losing after going a set and a break up against Coria, showed what a player he was, on a surface totally unsuited to his game

So, farewell Tim, a good career, but should have achieved so much more. But sport is a test of the mental as well as the technical and the physical, and so often he just couldn't cut that former trait
Click to expand...

Agree with the first paragraph. Don't agree that Henman should have won it in 2001. If anything 2001 was Rafter's best chance at Wimbledon. Even if Henman had gotten past Goran he wouldn't have beat Rafter in the final.
 
:( Had many great experiences and memories following tennis across the globe because of Henman. I think he could have won a couple of more Masters Series but never quite had a big enough game to win a SLam.
 
Lacked a killer instinct. Typical British tennis player in other words.
 
Its about fecking time, hes like the national team when the pressure is on he fecks up!!
 
Desert Eagle said:
Agree with the first paragraph. Don't agree that Henman should have won it in 2001. If anything 2001 was Rafter's best chance at Wimbledon. Even if Henman had gotten past Goran he wouldn't have beat Rafter in the final.
Click to expand...

He was all but in the final until the weather conditions completely fecked him over. If he got so close to beating Ivanisovic, then i see no reason why he couldn't keep up with Rafter. It was very unfortunate.
The thing about Henman is that the serve and volley style of play is quickly dying out. The game is more about power now than it has ever been and it has effected Henman's ability to perform even against lesser opposition.
 
Thank feck for that. Shite player. Shite fans. feck off Henmanmania or whatever it;s called.
 
Desert Eagle said:
One of the last classic serve and volley players left in the game.

Good player but could never live up to the unreasonable hype.
Click to expand...


Good player compared to the rest of the crap we have produced but in world terms he's rubbish.
 
His fans pissed me off more than his complete lack of bottle. They'd cheer his opponent getting a double fault, or any unforced error. It was just pathetic.
 
Henman gave us hope where for years before that there was none.

Handled himself well off the court.

And to all those who call him rubbish or ask "what era?"

He got to 4th in the world and was consistently in the top 10 World Rankings for a decade [How many in other sports can claim such?]. Reached the Semis at Wimbledon and the US and French Opens. Won the Paris Masters.

You don't acheive all that with no bottle at all, though granted his focus sometimes he drifted and to his cost, soemthing he will all too well be aware of looking back. The changing courts throught his career didn't help in more recent times, before that it just didn't happen for one reason or another.

But there is no way he cannot be considered a very good player on the world stage and a great in British terms.

Want to criticise, go and cast your eye over the players who shoudl by now be taking his place, but are not.

He will be missed in the sporting calendar, of that there is no doubt.


Wibble said:
Lacked a killer instinct. Typical British tennis player in other words.
Click to expand...

You speak as if we are awash with players in the Top 50-100. If only it were true.
 
Nick 0208 Ldn said:
Henman gave us hope where for years before that there was none.

Handled himself well off the court.

And to all those who call him rubbish or ask "what era?"

He got to 4th in the world and was consistently in the top 10 World Rankings for a decade [How many in other sports can claim such?]. Reached the Semis at Wimbledon and the US and French Opens. Won the Paris Masters.

You don't acheive all that with no bottle at all, though granted his focus sometimes he drifted and to his cost, soemthing he will all too well be aware of looking back. The changing courts throught his career didn't help in more recent times, before that it just didn't happen for one reason or another.

But there is no way he cannot be considered a very good player on the world stage and a great in British terms.

Want to criticise, go and cast your eye over the players who shoudl by now be taking his place, but are not.

He will be missed in the sporting calendar, of that there is no doubt.




You speak as if we are awash with players in the Top 50-100. If only it were true.
Click to expand...

although he was a good player, he never won a grand slam, and he was never number one

that's hardly an era maker
 
Very underrated and unappreciated player.Sometimes I got the impression that there were people almost willing him to fail so that they could have a go.
 
lynchie said:
His fans pissed me off more than his complete lack of bottle. They'd cheer his opponent getting a double fault, or any unforced error. It was just pathetic.
Click to expand...

Aye, all the Henmania was all a bit poofy and middle-class. Still a great player though - reached number 4 in the world - if an English footballer was the 4th best in the world we wouldn't be calling him 'rubbish'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.