Tim Henman Quotations

My back has stiffened up over the last few days which is frustrating,

My back is getting better by the day,

My back totally seized up on Saturday evening; I couldn't walk and it felt like someone was sticking a knife in my back.

I wouldn't have been able to play at 100 percent. I'd rather not take the chance. I still hope I can play in Rotterdam next week.

One of us is going to win and one of us is going to lose but it won't be the be-all and end-all.

My energy levels were fine but towards the end, during the changeovers, my back was getting quite stiff.

No doubt the most bizarre I've ever played. I'm shocked, really. His level went from nonexistent to playing some pretty good stuff in the space of a game.

Obviously, I've been working hard back home and putting a lot of time on the court and in the gym, but when you step out on the match court it is the next level,

Obviously I wanted to do better in terms of going a bit deeper into the tournament,

I have been training for four to five weeks back home. I am focusing more on staying fit as I want to play in more tournaments.

I have got enough of my own issues to concentrate on but if he wants my advice, and we have sat down and talked about different things, then absolutely I would be there.

I have had so many problems withy my bad back that when I get out there and actually feel healthy I really feel I want to take advantage of it.

I don't know what this mystery thing is that I'm meant to be passing on - what is it? A torch, a flag, a baton?

I feel physically I was a lot better than I was in my first match and that's a good sign.

I got a break out of nothing, then the first game of the second set it was a lapse in concentration more than anything.

I don't think I've ever gone on after midnight.

I felt like I wanted to be very meticulous and disciplined with my service games, and I think I did a very good job with that,

Today I didn't feel anything. There were no aches and pains, no twinges. Second point going up for the smash I'm thinking this could hurt, but fortunately it didn't and that's a good sign. The next 24 hours is still important, but I do feel confident that I'll react okay.

Today I didn't feel anything. There were o aches and pains, no twinges. Second point going up for the smash I'm thinking this could hurt, but fortunately it didn't and that's a good sign. The next 24 hours is still important, but I do feel confident that I'll react okay.

Today I played some really good tennis. He wasn't playing his best and it's important to take advantage of that.

I actually had a funny feeling that we would play each other this week, but when I mentioned it at dinner the other night everybody just laughed it off.

He's playing well and he's having a really solid year, so he's going to be confident and tough to beat,

He was on to my serve, was very aggressive and played shots at a high level,

I absolutely have played a lot worse before and won. It's tough losing such a close match. It's disappointing but you have to move on.

If I really push myself this week and don't suffer any adverse reaction then I'm sure I'll be ready to play.

Having had a problem with my stomach in Cincinnati I think my body ended up compensating for it and my back is now a little stiff as a result,

My priority is to try and make sure I'm fully fit going into the match,

My priority is to try to make sure that I am fully fit going into the match. My stomach has responded well to rest over the weekend, although I've still got to be careful not to overdo it.

My stomach has responded well to rest over the weekend, although I've still got to be careful over the next few days not to over-do it.

Our media is possibly the worst in the world.

Just in the first couple of games I did feel I was a little bit rigid,

I think for the first time I was a little burnt out after a number of years playing.

I think my body compensated for the stomach injury, making my back stiff.

I think one aspect of it was how calm I was on those important points. And the back feels all right too, so I'm very pleased.

I still feel I have a few more years left. I am focusing on staying fit as I want to play more tournaments.

I won't be able to play at 100 percent. I prefer not to take a risk. I want to play in Rotterdam next week.

I was hitting the ball pretty well today, ... It just didn't happen for me tonight or this week. But I'm a big believer that if you put in hard work, it will pay off.

It has been a great fortnight for me,

It certainly hasn't shown in my results yet, but I'm a big believer the hard work you put in will pay off somewhere down the line.

I think I said I would put on a skirt if I dropped serve again.

I think it's a bug of some sort, probably nothing serious. Now I need to rest and make sure I feel fresh for the French Open.

I wasn't serving well while Tommy got his act together. You know how important the serves are in tennis, and I'm going to work on mine.

To lose my serve at 40-love - he hit some great shots but you can't let that happen - that was the turning point of the match.

Those guys probably have separated themselves (from the rest). Maybe I wouldn't put Federer in the same bracket as the other three, he's had such a superb season.

Winning the tiebreak was crucial and I am pleased to get through, ... The level of tennis was very high in the first set. He is a great athlete with a great physique and he can hit the ball hard.

Winning the tiebreak was crucial and I am pleased to get through. The level of tennis was very high in the first set. He is a great athlete with a great physique and he can hit the ball hard.

Wimbledon is certainly getting harder, I can't deny that. With the nature of my opponents and the nature of the surface it's going to be a tough challenge.

When I'm not competing I try and play as much golf as time allows, and my handicap is three.

When you speak to tennis journalists, you notice how little they understand.

With my experience of the press I am aware that these things get built up and blown out of proportion,

Everything so far has been a bonus and this is a good way to finish my birthday.

To get the result is a huge boost. It was a good one to finally win.

When it does get irritated, you get a lot of inflammation in that area. It's very difficult, if you're practicing and trying to play, to keep that down. That was really the issue today.

At the Masters Series events, you have to win six matches and you play the very best guys. But once you can beat Roddick and Hewitt, there's no reason why you can't do it. It's another level for Andy but not a massive step.

I started the match really well but had a difficult period in the middle and had my chances at the end. That's the way it goes, that's sport.

I've been hearing about this. It's either the changing of the guard or I'm supposed to be passing him something. Is it a torch? Is it a flag? Maybe it's a baton. There's this mystery thing that I'm supposed to be passing to Andy, and he's welcome to it. Please pass it on to him. I won't be offended this time if you write that.

I've been lucky to be able to see the same lady that treated me so well last year when I was suffering much worse than I am now, so I'm confident I'm in good hands. At least I know that it's still possible for me to do well, even if my time on the practice court needs to be limited. It's not the best way to prepare, but hopefully it will be a bit better and I'll be able to focus solely on winning.

The work that I did to get through those two matches, to lose this is pretty tough to swallow.

We've never played before, ... But I've got a pretty good idea of how he plays. He's a great shot-maker and he can hit both his forehand and backhand very well.

To be honest, the goal was to qualify for Houston.

After a difficult first six months of the year, I've begun to put some foundation into my game, ... It didn't pay off tonight. I'm confident it will down the road.

First and foremost, he played some great tennis. He was the one playing very aggressively and taking shots on.

They said, 'It's up to you. You don't have to play now. We're like, 'Now you tell us. What option have we got? If we don't play, we're not going to sleep before 3 or 4 o'clock, and then we've got to play today and Saturday.

There's no doubt it's been a difficult 15 or 16 months and that's been probably dominated more by back problems than my results on the court.

I've always enjoyed coming to Doha and playing here. The Qatar Open offers a good tune-up before the Australian Open but I am not thinking about winning it.

I've enjoyed getting back on the practice court and I'm really looking forward to heading out to Asia,

I'm happy with the way I'm hitting the ball, ... I feel motivated but having played so little I still feel pretty fresh and in a good frame of mind.

I had to be a lot more patient, more selective, when I came forward. It was good a I felt comfortable with a different style. The eight previous times I've seen that fire because I've been at the net giving him a target.

I knew that my back wasn't great, but after the practice I had for three-quarters of an hour on Sunday and then a bit longer yesterday, I felt like it was moving in the right direction. But I just think there's always that difference between practice and matches. You know, you've got to go after shots a bit more.

I haven't been able to practice as much as I would have wanted, but at least I know what the problem is and how to go about treating it,

I'm 0-8. It's not much different from 0-9. So let's see what happens.

In my opinion, he's playing better than anyone in the world right now.

In the first set, I won the big points, and in the second and third sets he was the one who came out on top. He's going to get better and better and has a good game to work with.

I improved in the second set but I don't think I raised it high enough,

I'm disappointed right now, but I'm sure that a week from Monday (the start of Wimbledon) I'll be raring to go.

The best way for me to win the tournament is just to worry about my game.

Not only was I really pleased with the way I played, I was more interested in how I would feel physically and I feel I came through very, very well,

It's no doubt the most bizarre match I've ever played. I'm just sort of shocked. To play the first set as I did and him to play, I think I only lost four points in the first set... all of a sudden I'm playing a different player.

It's ironic, ... In 2003 I had been ill and arrived here Sunday and won the tournament. This year I had 2 1/2 weeks of great training, doing a lot of physical work. I didn't play badly and lost.

I had difficult times last year and I was pretty frustrated with everything.

I'll definitely rest now because that's what it needs because of the (back) inflammation, but I've got some time.

I just had to be patient, hold my own serve and make him hit as many balls as possible.

But I do like the way I responded from that. I just played another good service game and just felt all round it was a good performance.

I'll obviously have to be aware of trying to gradually increase my intensity and work-rate on court, but I'm confident it's going to be totally healed, ... My stomach has responded well to rest although I've still got to be careful over the next few days not to over-do it.

I'll have to be aware of gradually trying to increase my intensity and work-out, but I'm confident that it's going to be totally healed by the time the US Open rolls around, which is obviously good news.

Hopefully, Andy won't take too much notice about what's written or said about him. Hopefully he'll have a sensible team around him that will help him concentrate on trying to fulfil his potential and not let anything detract from that.

Hopefully by the time my first-round match rolls around it'll be a bit better and I'll be able to focus solely on winning.

I don't think it had the biggest influence on the match.

I didn't play badly tonight but ended up losing. Sometimes, that's the way it goes.

I didn't play great, I didn't play badly. Marat just played better than me.

I didn't play my best but I didn't play too badly. I feel confident if I keep working hard, the results will come.

I played aggressively and took my chances. I guess most importantly I felt physically good out on court.

It was a good one to finally win. I had to be a lot more patient, more selective, when I came forward.

It wasn't a good season for me in 2005 and I wanted to try to get off to a good start. And beating a guy of his caliber is what I was looking for.

It was much better today, in terms of the result,

It was much better today, in terms of the result. I've been playing as well in practice as I have in years and I know that if I just remain patient, then the hard work will pay off.

It was obviously a fantastic week for Andy reaching his first ATP final,

It's certainly the best that I've played, but the job's not done,

It was a good start for me. I just got in yesterday and could not prepare much. Despite the long second set, my back is feeling good. I played the first set solid, and he was making a lot of unforced errors. I just focused on not giving him cheap points.

It was a good start for me. I just got in yesterday and could not prepare much. I played the first set solid, and he was making a lot of unforced errors. I just focused on not giving him cheap points.