Henman fit to take on heat of Melbourne

Tim Henman has declared himself fit to challenge for Australian Open glory after arriving in Melbourne.

Henman was troubled by a stiff back over the winter and was concerned that the 24-hour flight might take its toll.

"I was a little worried that my back might stiffen up coming out here but it seems to be fine," said the 30-year-old British number one.

"My focus now is to try and get used to the conditions.

"I worked pretty hard on my physical conditioning in December but it will still take a while to get used to the heat.

"I'm not getting any younger but I enjoy testing myself and getting the best out of my body at the beginning of the year here in Australia is a real challenge - but that's why I play the game."

Henman arrived in Australia on Friday and will play in the Kooyong Classic exhibition event from Wednesday.

"It's never easy travelling from Europe to Australia," Henman added. "It's a long flight and it definitely takes a lot out of you.

"It always takes a few days for my body clock to regulate itself but I should be fine by the time I start the Kooyong event."

Henman reached the semi-finals of the French Open and US Open last year but has never gone past the fourth round in Australia.