Henman bids farewell to his final dream

After all the hope and hype, the flags and the banners, Tim Henman and the nation's hopes of a Wimbledon Championship drained away on a grey and rainy day yesterday.

There was a sense of inevitability about the end. Long before Lleyton Hewitt had won with a shattering ace after two hours and 19 minutes of the semi-final, the crowd at Centre Court appeared to be reconciled to this being another year without a British victory.

The 4,000-odd spectators on Henman Hill, a rain-drenched but defiant bunch, kept up their vocal support for longer. At the finish, they walked away dejectedly, promising to return next year.

But everyone knew a golden opportunity had been lost for Henman to win the title in the year of the golden jubilee. He is unlikely to be favoured with such a fortuitous draw again.

Despite a minor fightback in the third and final set, Henman was well beaten. "We believe in you, Tim," came a plaintive crytowards the end. The problem was he had stopped believing in himself.

After the match, a subdued and reflective Henman talked about the pressure of being the focal point of national aspirations in tennis.

He said Hewitt was "phenomenal", adding: "I have got to improve. The better player won today. It wasn't due to lack of effort, but the bottom line being he is the better player. The fans were wonderful."