The Hindu : It's Henmania time once again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 22, 2003

Sport

Sport - Tennis

It's Henmania time once again

By Nirmal Shekar

London June 21. Prince William turned 21 today and his handsome, smiling face dominated the front page of every single newspaper on the day of summer solstice, the longest day of the year, a day when the sun rose at 4.43 a.m. and won't set until 9.21 p.m.

Harry Potter mania is sweeping England with young fans of the schoolboy wizard series queuing up late in the night to get their hands on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a handful even managing to get the books autographed by its multi-millionaire author J.K.Rowling.

For the first time in several days, the Commoner Prince _ David Beckham _ who is more famous than the 21-year-old heir to the British throne, has been relegated to the sports pages of newspapers with the hype of the Real deal slowly reduced to ripples from huge waves.

And, yes, the grass is lush green in the most famous piece of real estate where tennis is played _ the All England Lawn Tennis Club _ and Wimbledon is round the corner.

And, yes, at least for a fortnight, if lucky, or surely a week, if a touch unlucky, Henmania will match Potter-mania in these parts. Up on Henman hill, the decibel levels will touch a record high by tennis standards when Tim Henman opens against the 27-year old Czech "lucky loser'' Tomas Zib _ who is yet to open his account in the Grand Slams _ rather than against Alex Corretja, the former French champion who has withdrawn so as he can spend time with his wife and new-born son Aroa in Barcelona.

That's a good piece of luck for Henman who needs all the luck in the world if he is to get the monkey off his back and realise a whole nation's great dream.

It is 67 years since Fred Perry won the last of his three titles in 1936 and Henman, whose form and fitness were in question only a month ago _ he had a shoulder surgery last November and has won only six matches so far this year _ knows that yet again he will be carrying a huge burden.

``The expectations are lower than the previous years,'' said Henman. "But this is my favourite time of the year and my favourite tournament. The support really lifts me.''

He will need more than just maniacal support during the fortnight although some of the greatest grass court players of his generation _ including his friend and nemesis Pete Sampras, the Australian Pat Rafter and the 2001 champion Goran Ivanisevic, who beat Henman in the semifinals that year _ are missing this time.

Asked if he was relieved that his first round opponent would be the little know Zib, worked ranked 157, rather than Corretja, the Briton said, "I don't pay too much attention to who I am going to play. I focus more on how my game is progressing, especially as things can change pretty quickly in a draw this size.''

``Obviously Alex (Corretja) is an experienced player and people might expect a match against Tomas (Zib) to be easier, but he's already won a couple of matches in the qualifying, so I will take it one match at a time.''

One match at a time, yes; but he will need to win seven in two weeks to pull it off. Aged 28, Henman, now world ranked 29, knows that he does not have too many years left in which to do it. But like all of England, he keeps on dreaming.

``I have dreamt what it is like to win Wimbledon,'' he said. Tens of thousands of his fans have dreamt, too, about their hero winning at Big W. And that is what keeps them going, risking their vocal chords for him.

Last year, after Sampras was beaten by George Bastl in the second round, a London tabloid came up with this headline: "No pressure Timbo, but choke now and we'll never forgive you.''

As it turned out, Henman did not choke. He was simply thrashed by a red hot Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals, the last of four he has made in this tournament.

Remarkably, all the four times that Henman was in the semifinal, he has been beaten by the eventual champion. He lost to Sampras in 98 and 99 and then to Ivanisevic and Hewitt in 2001 and 2002.

That, of course, doesn't make the defeats any less disappointing for a man who has come closer to pulling off the miracle than any Englishman alive.

Seeded 10 despite being outside the top 25, Henman has been installed as the fifth favourite for the title by the bookmakers, at 14-1. Andre Agassi is the top favourite at 3-1 and Roger Federer, who beat Sampras in the fourth round in 2001, is second at 9-2. They are followed by Hewitt (5-1) and the Queens champion Andy Roddick (6-1).

But Henman will surely know that, in actual fact the odds are greater than those numbers run up by the bookies. But should he manage to surmount them, all hell will break loose at the staid old cathedral of lawn tennis in south west London.

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