Tim Henman: Britain's finest in shape of his life to fulfil final dream

Tiger Tim will have no regrets if he never wins Wimbledon. But, as Ronald Atkin discovers, his partnership with Annacone could swing it

Boris Becker says he has his best chance ever. Goran Ivanisevic has put money on him. Roger Federer thinks facing him in the final would make the perfect occasion. But the most important item as 128 men embark tomorrow on the fortnight's trek to find a Wimbledon men's champion is the state of Tim Henman's freshly cleared mind. He, too, thinks he can win the biggest of the majors, the Grand Slam title that has eluded him for the best part of a decade, and end a British drought going back to Fred Perry 68 years ago.

Boris Becker says he has his best chance ever. Goran Ivanisevic has put money on him. Roger Federer thinks facing him in the final would make the perfect occasion. But the most important item as 128 men embark tomorrow on the fortnight's trek to find a Wimbledon men's champion is the state of Tim Henman's freshly cleared mind. He, too, thinks he can win the biggest of the majors, the Grand Slam title that has eluded him for the best part of a decade, and end a British drought going back to Fred Perry 68 years ago.

The confidence of this quietly spoken and unassuming athlete was given an injection of rocket fuel by the arrival at his side last autumn of Paul Annacone as coach, guru and mender of a dislocated game. Annacone, a good enough player to have peaked at 12 in the world rankings, had spent long years working with Pete Sampras, and though there wasn't much anyone could impart to Pistol Pete about becoming more successful on court, Sampras still thinks enough of Annacone's savvy to consult him about his business affairs.

Henman was a different case. Hobbled, perhaps mentally as well as physically, by the aftermath of a shoulder operation, uncertain about whether to plough on without a coach after parting from Larry Stefanki, Tim turned to Annacone, a circuit friend in the Sampras circle to which Henman belonged.

Nightly advice over the long-distance phone line famously propelled Henman to his first Masters Series title at the Bercy stadium in Paris last November, a tournament in which he beat the likes of Federer, Andy Roddick, Sébastien Grosjean and Gustavo Kuerten. And he has not looked back since. Paris was also the setting for the next eye-catching example of the Henman-Annacone partnership at the recent French Open.

Thrilling attacking play on the sport's slowest surface and impeccable behaviour as he stormed into the semi-finals had the fickle French audience solidly on his side. It was all most impressive. At 29, we in the British media were watching a new Tim. And we were not the only ones.

"I had a great reaction from the other players, people like [Andre] Agassi and [Andy] Roddick and some of the English guys I have known a long time," Henman said as he prepared last week for his 11th tilt at Wimbledon. "They all said how much they had enjoyed watching me. That definitely means something.

"But I don't need confirmation. There is always talk about the spotlight and the criticism, and if I was insecure that would be a distraction. But it has never been an issue for me, I have never worried about that. I don't need reassurance. I am concerned about what I think and what Paul thinks. In terms of my tennis, that's all that matters to me."

Henman is reassured most of all by how he has got better since this time last year. "At 16 or 17, that's when you can see some pretty sharp improvements, but when you're talking about the top of the game and think that last year at Wimbledon I was 15 in the world, it has been a pretty exciting improvement. I couldn't be more excited."

Now comes the most exciting, and most demanding, time of the year for him, with the hordes preparing to assemble on Henman Hill and the expectation level as absurdly high as ever. "When I step back on a grass court there is always a special feeling, that's for sure," he said. "Over the last few years, coming from the French Open, it has almost been a comforting scenario if I have had some disappointing losses. This year, the circumstances were different, and I only had a couple of days to make the transition from clay to grass.

"But I couldn't be more positive and optimistic about the direction my game is going in. I reflect on the two matches I played against Grosjean last year, at Queen's and Wimbledon [both of which he lost] and think to myself, 'That's what not to do'. That's how my game has changed.

"The improvement in my serve is one of the biggest assets. Before, I wasn't getting any help or cheap points from it. Now, I am serving far, far better. All aspects of my game are better and, probably most importantly, so are my demeanour and my attitude on court. Those are big factors and are going to give me some pretty good chances."

He has, of course, had pretty good chances on other occasions, especially at Wimbledon, with four semi-finals. Only one of those, he claims, came as a disappointment: losing to Goran Ivanisevic in 2001 in a rain-ruined contest that spread over three days. "That was so unique, and pretty difficult to swallow. But I have no complaints about the other three [losing to Sampras in 1997 and 2001, and Hewitt in 2002].

"People ask me if I locked myself away for the next three days after those defeats. By the next morning I was arranging where I was going to play golf or something. Sure, I was disappointed I wasn't getting ready for a Wimbledon final, but I lost to better players on those days.

"But after losing to Grosjean in the quarters last year I knew, playing that style, I wasn't going anywhere. With my natural ability I knew I could probably stay between 10 and 20 in the world, but that's not what I was interested in. I needed to start using the weapons I had.

"My serving wasn't helping. I was serving consistently, but opponents return so well these days and it was a real struggle to fight through the matches. I thought I played very averagely at Wimbledon last year. I also played very averagely in 2002, actually, but I still made the semis. I know where my game is now, I know how much better I am playing. So if I can play that badly and get to the quarters and semis, then it fills me with a lot of confidence coming into this year."

Added to that confidence is the balance Henman enjoys from family life with daughter Rosie and another child due in December for himself and his wife, Lucy. "It's a pretty good way of keeping things in perspective," he said. "With the intense spotlight you can be under as a professional sportsman, it gets blown out of proportion a little bit. Having a daughter is a pretty good way of understanding that you are going to try your best but at the end of the day it's a game, isn't it? Rosie doesn't care whether I've won or lost. She just wants her food or her bottle or something.

"Whether it's perhaps being a dad, perhaps winning my first Masters Series title, or perhaps the input Paul has had, certainly I am more relaxed and therefore thinking much more clearly. In the past I put too much pressure on myself, I wanted to win almost too much, and that ended up affecting my performance."

Henman is unwilling to put numbers or a percentage on that better performance. "Let's just say it's pretty substantial. Since Paris last November my ranking has gone from thirty-something to five, and there's still half the year to go. That's proof that what I am doing is working, but I need to keep focused about being disciplined and imposing my style. If I do that and play the way I am capable of, I am going to win a lot, and if I lose I will just look the other guy in the eye and say, 'You're better than me.'

"Those who are really close to me say I'm the same person, but now that I am much more aware of my capabilities it motivates me even more. Success and failure can be very black and white in the media's eyes, and to a certain extent in my eyes, too. Now, with my game and my results, I am just worrying about what I am doing rather than about my opponents and their game.

"That's what I am going to try doing for the next three or four years. Then, whenever I retire and hang them up, I will be able to say I tried all these things, worked as hard as I could and we will see what I achieved. I certainly won't look back with regrets.

"I am playing as well as I have ever done, but that doesn't guarantee me anything. That's the challenge as a professional sportsman. You've got to do it each and every day."

Henman pondered a question, if he does not win Wimbledon, about being labelled the best never to do so. "I think Ken Rosewall would be a bit insulted," he smiled. "Pat Rafter, too, maybe. But I am sure a lot of people would judge me that way, saying I had failed. I can't control that. But I have always said if I could choose to win one it would be Wimbledon, and I am going to do everything I can to win it. We'll just see whether I can do it this year or not."

Let us just hope that Goran Ivanisevic wins his bet and that Roger Federer gets to meet his perfect finalist.

BIOGRAPHY

Born: 6 September 1974, Oxford

Family: Married to Lucy, one daughter, Rosie, second child on the way.

Career: 1994: First Wimbledon appearance, loses in first round. 1995: Davis Cup debut; disqualified from Wimbledon after hitting ball girl with a ball. 1996: British No 1 for first time; silver medal at Atlanta Olympics with Neil Broad. 1997: First ATP title, in Sydney. 1998: First home player to reach Wimbledon semis since 1973. 2001: Splits from long-term coach, David Felgate, who is eventually replaced by Larry Stefanki. 2003: Links up with Pete Sampras's former coach, Paul Annacone. 2004: First British man to reach French Open semis since 1937.