New-found aggression puts Henman back among world's élite

Despite his defeat by Roger Federer on Sunday, the British No 1 has hit a rich seam of form, says John Roberts

If you are going to lose, there is no shame in losing to the best - even if the best happens to be a fellow you have beaten six times out of seven in the past.

Tim Henman was unable to put the evil eye on Roger Federer on Sunday, when the Wimbledon champion and world No 1 outplayed the British No 1 in the final of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, the first Masters Series tournament of the year.

The only other time Henman had lost to Federer was at the 2002 Nasdaq Open, the Masters Series event in Key Biscayne, Florida, when he retired hurt after losing the opening set 6-2. Henman had tweaked his neck on his way out of the locker-room before the match.

Federer did the tweaking on Sunday, his splendid display in the desert heat causing Henman to make errors as the 22-year-old Swiss triumphed, 6-3, 6-3, after 62 minutes.

Henman, ranked No 8 in the world after his progress in Indian Wells, has the distinction of being the only player to have defeated Federer this year. That was in the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam tournament last month. Henman then lost to Lleyton Hewitt, the Australian former Wimbledon champion and world No 1, in the semi-finals.

No surprise there. Henman always loses to Hewitt, his bête noire.

On the eve of the Dubai Open your correspondent reminded Henman about his winning record against Federer, and Henman completed the sentence for me: "...and I've lost seven in a row against Hewitt."

Smiling thinly, Henman added: "He's not bad, though, is he? Let's get that straight. If I was 7-0 against you, then I'd start to worry." So would I, even though my bank manager would do a lap of honour.

"I think it's just a classic match-up [against Hewitt]," Henman said. "You get it in all sports. I could probably name four or five other match-ups. If I was losing seven times in a row against a guy ranked 75 or 100 in the world, then there would be a question mark. But if you look at the matches I've played against Hewitt, he's played some great tennis.

"I would certainly agree that I can play better, but that's a challenge, isn't it? I don't tend to view it as a negative. I view it as a challenge to my game to find out the right way to play. I'd like to think I will beat him one day."

Is it frustrating?

"Frustration is not the right word, because if I get frustrated that's not going to do me any good, is it? I'm disappointed after losing to him in the semis in Rotterdam, but you've got to find a way to deal with it, and that's clearly the challenge."

That same day in Dubai, Federer expressed similar feelings about dealing with Henman. "Definitely there are players I prefer to play against that other top players don't like to play against," he said. "I can lose to one guy, but that guy gets beaten all the time by another guy that I usually beat.

"It's very strange, but you have to look at it a little bit differently. Now the record looks quite hard - 6-1 down - but Tim's been the better-ranked player four of the times we've played. Now that I'm No 1 in the world, you look at this record and think, 'Oh, my God, how is this possible?' OK, he beat me in Paris and Rotterdam, but all the matches we played before, he was better ranked.

"He played really good matches against me that last few times that we played. I didn't feel I was playing my best. I'm not worried or anything, but I'd prefer the record to be the other way round."

Although Federer defeated Hewitt en route to winning the Australian Open, the baseliner from Adelaide holds a 7-3 record against him.

"It's a similar situation [as with Tim]," Federer said. "I feel like we've always had very close matches. Even in the beginning of our careers we played three-setters all the time. I got lucky once when I won in Basle, I saved match point. And I beat him in Miami in the semis and at the Australian Open. I felt that even there it was an open match."

Henman leads Andy Roddick, the US Open champion, 3-1, but he had to save a match point against him in the quarter-finals in Indian Wells and also before defeating the big-serving young American in Washington last summer.

Although Guillermo Canas, the Argentinian baseliner, is not quite in the Hewitt class, his win against Henman in the third round at the Australian Open in January, 9-7 in the fifth set, was his fourth success in their five matches.

That setback did not deter Henman, nor is he likely to allow Sunday's loss to Federer to alter his approach to the game. "As I've tried to emphasise on numerous occasions," Henman said, "I want to make sure that I keep committing to a style of play and not put the emphasis on winning and losing.

"With my ability, If I am playing the right way and I'm playing half-decently, then I think I've got a good chance of having good results.

"There have definitely been times when I have been erratic, and I think that again comes back to the style of play. But you have to be very clear in your mind about the way you want to play. Now I've got a greater understanding of what I'm trying to do, I think I've got a much better chance of being more consistent.

"It was tough but I think that when you look back at the whole tournament it's been a great 10 days for me and there's definitely plenty to build on for the rest of the year.

"I'm disappointed with my game [against Federer] and I didn't think I played my best, but having said that I probably wasn't allowed to play as well as I would have liked.

"I had a few early half-chances, like when I was 30-all and then blew my approach shot, and it's things like that, against a player of Roger's class, that you've got to try to capitalise on,"

His coach, the American Paul Annacone, who formerly advised Pete Sampras, has restored Henman's faith in playing aggressive tennis.

"It's only been in a fairly short time frame, but Paul has had a lot of input into my game, and I feel very positive about the direction in which I'm going," Henman said. "The biggest positive is the way that I'm serving. There's been very little focus on the technical side, just a totally different mindset of being so much more aggressive.

"It all revolves around being committed to a plan, and you have to break that down to every individual point, every individual shot.

"There are still going to be days when I don't serve as well as I would like. But if you're committed and you play the right way and you get beaten, then I don't think you can complain too much.

"When I've been guilty in the past of playing quite well but playing in the wrong way and losing, that's when there should be a lot more frustration. But I'm avoiding that happening at the moment."

"Paul told me in conversation four, five or six years ago, that it's a massive attribute to have options [in my game], but it's much harder to try to use them in a correct way.

"On the one hand, so much reflects on Federer, the way that he's able to do that and use all his strengths so well. It's taken me a lot longer to be able to work them out.

"Again, you look at my development in the game. At 22 I was in the top 100. You look as some of these other guys and they're top five by the time they're 19. I don't pay a great deal of attention to my age. I'm 29 now, but if I stay fit and healthy there's no reason why I can't play for another four or five years.

"I look back at what's happened in the last four or five years. So many good things, some difficult things as well. Hopefully there's a lot more to look forward to in the future."

This time last year, Henman's season had not taken off after his rehabilitation following surgery to his right shoulder. But in November he was inspired, winning his first Masters Series title in Paris with victories against Gustavo Kuerten, Federer and Roddick.

Federer, who parted from his coach, Peter Lundgren, of Sweden, at the end of last season, continues to search for a new mentor.

"At my age I still need a coach," Federer said. "I feel like I can still improve in a lot of areas of my game, even though I am the best right now. I feel I need a coach, but at the same time I also enjoy the situation I'm in now. I get to know myself better. I have to watch out for more things, be more alert, and I can do what I feel is right.

"The Australian Open gave me a lot of confidence and a lot of air to breathe again, because I know I can also work this way [without a coach], which I was not sure of in December."

The Opponents Henman Likes ...

Tim Henman v Roger Federer (Henman leads 6-3).

1999: Basle carpet QF: Henman won 6-3 7-5. 2000: Vienna concrete Final: Federer won 2-6 7-6 6-3. 2001: Wimbledon grass QF: Henman won 7-5 7-6 2-6 7-6. Basle carpet: Henman won 6-3 6-4 6-2. 2002: Nasdaq Open concrete R16: Federer won 6-2 (Henman ret.). 2003: Paris Masters carpet QF: Henman won 7-6 6-1. 2004: Rotterdam concrete QF: Henman won 6-3 7-6. Pacific Life Open, Indian Wells concrete Final: Federer won 6-3 6-3.

Henman v Andy Roddick (Henman leads 3-1).

2003: Washington concrete SF: Henman won 1-6 6-3 7-6. US Open concrete 1st rd: Roddick won 6-3 7-6 6-3. Paris Masters carpet SF: Henman won 7-6 7-6. 2004: Indian Wells Masters QF: Henman won 6-7 7-6 6-3.

... And The Players He Fears

Henman v Lleyton Hewitt (Hewitt leads 7-0).

2000: Scottsdale concrete Final: Hewitt won 6-4 7-6. Stuttgart Masters concrete R16: Hewitt won 3-6 6-3 6-4. 2001: Queen's Club grass Final: Hewitt won 7-6 7-6. 2002: Indian Wells Masters concrete Final: Hewitt won 6-1 6-2. Queen's Club grass Final: Hewitt won 4-6 6-1 6-4. Wimbledon grass SF: Hewitt won 7-5 6-1 7-5. 2004:

Rotterdam concrete SF: Hewitt won 6-3 6-3.

Henman v Guillermo Canas (Canas leads 4-1).

1998: Canadian Masters concrete R32: Henman won 3-6 7-6 6-2. 1999: US Open concrete 1st rd: Canas won 7-6 6-4 6-3. 2001: French Open clay R32: Canas won 4-6 6-4 6-4 3-6 7-5. Vienna concrete R16: Canas won 3-6 7-6 7-6. 2004: Australian Open concrete R32: Canas won 6-7 5-7 7-6 7-5 9-7.