Whither Timothy??

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Whither Timothy??

Count Zero · Tennis legend

isnt he hoping for wc's to some events?

Salmon · Tennis legend

Surely Tim won't accept wild cards even if the organisers come begging at his doorstep.

They are for 17 and 18 year olds according to him, remember? And it's been a while since he was 18.

seagull · Hall of fame

If Henman is serious about carrying on he needs to be turning up for qualifying at the 2 Masters events in August...we will see.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Or at least entering the International Series that he can get in with his current ranking, and hope to win a few matches to get it higher.

Qualies might be a bit of a turn-off. As well as the feeling of dropping a level, there is the point he would have to win several matches in a row just to get into the main draw.

MrBaseliner · Social player

I don't want Tim to retire, he's our no. 2 player on merit at the moment, he's still playing good tennis. Look at Jonas Bjorkman, four years older! The more players we have in the top 100/200 the better. I fully expect Tim to be at Wimbledon next year, and in the top 50 at that.

RobC · All-time great

I think we all agree with you, Mr B.

What's concerning is that Tim himself doesn't seem to want to "lower himself" to actually do the hard work of playing at the lower level that he now finds himself so as to raise his ranking back up high enough to compete in the Masters series events where he obviously feels at home.

He hasn't entered any of the lesser ATP events for which he can get a direct entry now that he's ranked 70.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i think some of it was tims comment on wildcards as well,

i agree tim has never been prepared to lower himslef, whereas greg did. Why doesnt tim play newport? surely he would be able to go quite deep there as it really suits serve & volley.

does tim think he is better than that? both reached no4, greg even got the slam final. plenty of other players dropped doen to challengers even to come back, i am sure fish did etc. seems tim doesnt want to put the hard work in too much maybe?

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Agassi dropped to Challengers to get his ranking back up, never mind Fish. Yes, my question was a genuine question: if Tim wants to continue playing, surely he should be entering the lower level ATP tournaments that he has still direct entry into. If he doesn't play anywhere at all, his ranking will drop so low that he will be forced either to play Challengers or give up completely. Already he is ranked too low to get into any more of the tournaments this year except the USO, I think. None of the remaining Masters have large draws, do they?

wolf · Tennis legend

Re: Whither Timothy

john · Top national player

Whither Timothy??

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

He is in the Washington draw, at least that is a start.

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Tim Henman is going to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington DC, which starts on July 30th. and he says -

Im heading out to Washington initially and then Id like to play in the Masters Series events in Montreal and Cincy too.
But its going to be tough to get into the main draw there given my ranking at the moment, so Im hoping to get a wild card.

Now is this the same Tim Henman who a couple of weeks ago was criticisng the younger British players when he said :-

"Wildcards are a fantastic opportunity but if you're any good, you don't need wildcards" ? :haha:

Montana Doug · Futures qualifying

mjd wrote:

Tim Henman is going to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington DC, which starts on July 30th. and he says -

Im heading out to Washington initially and then Id like to play in the Masters Series events in Montreal and Cincy too.
But its going to be tough to get into the main draw there given my ranking at the moment, so Im hoping to get a wild card.

Now is this the same Tim Henman who a couple of weeks ago was criticisng the younger British players when he said :-

"Wildcards are a fantastic opportunity but if you're any good, you don't need wildcards" ?

MGD you have to look at the context. I disagree with what Tim said too, but he was talking about younger British players not players like himself.

Tim is a former world #4 who has reached six slam semis on three different services. He has also recently been out hurt for a few months. He has done very well at the two Summer Masters Events esp the one in Cincy, and on American hard courts.

Tim is still in my opinion a top 40 player, his tennis is a joy to watch. Also, being in the States it is clear that Tim is popular with the American media and crowds who enjoy his attacking style of play.

The context is so different for him rather than who he was talking about in the above quote and so that shouldn't apply. Hopefully Tim will be given at least one in Cincy if not one in Canada too.

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Montana Doug wrote:

MJD you have to look at the context. I disagree with what Tim said too, but he was talking about younger British players not players like himself.

Tim is a former world #4 who has reached six slam semis on three different services. He has also recently been out hurt for a few months. He has done very well at the two Summer Masters Events esp the one in Cincy, and on American hard courts.

Tim is still in my opinion a top 40 player, his tennis is a joy to watch. Also, being in the States it is clear that Tim is popular with the American media and crowds who enjoy his attacking style of play.

The context is so different for him rather than who he was talking about in the above quote and so that shouldn't apply. Hopefully Tim will be given at least one in Cincy if not one in Canada too.
I am well aware that Tim was talking about younger British players and not players like himself  - That is my point! - he should realise that there is not enough room for everyone to be in the top 100, the competition is very stiff these days and as Greg Rusedski (who lives in the real world) said last week " at a challenger level almost anyone could beat anyone else" as Tim may well find out one day soon.

Tim should not look down upon those that haven't yet, and may never make it, his criticism of younger British players  who are trying their hardest in less fortunate circumstances than his own was completely uncalled for and that is when he lost my respect.

In other words Tim should concentrate on his own game and get that right. Maybe if he tried qualifying rather than relying on wild cards he would realise the strength of the opposition that these youngsters are up against these days and realise just how much they appreciate a little help now and again.