WIMBLEDON: DAY 10

Some dreams may never come true
Henman's hopes axed by Ancic; Trembling Tim: 'I think it gets worse, actually'

By Eleanor Preston
Special to tennisreporters.net

Susan & Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA
Henman's loss has kocked him of his hero's pedestal with British fans.

FROM WIMBLEDON – There was yet more stiffening of upper lips at Wimbledon on Wednesday and even more disappointment for Tim Henman, who was stoic and sporting enough to offer Mario Ancic his congratulations after the Croatian humbled him, beating him 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 in front of a chastened Centre Court crowd.

There was a look of sadness in Henman's eyes as he trudged off court though, and perhaps the realization that the dream of winning Wimbledon, which he has nurtured since he was five years old, may never come true. As he sat before the ever-expectant media and tried to make sense of it all, he managed a wry smile when he was asked, repeatedly, how this latest horrible experience compares to all the other horrible experiences.

"I think it gets worse, actually" he said, without expansion. He scarcely needed to. In the BBC's TV studio afterwards the torture went on despite the fact that all Henman probably wanted to do was skulk back to his home a few miles away, tuck his daughter into bed and think of happier times.

"People will ask after this defeat whether you can ever win Wimbledon … ," began one questioner, in what he hoped was a sympathetic tone. Henman's eyes rolled instinctively, though he was far too polite to kick the question into touch. "I have been asking myself that question for about the last 28 years, ever since I first understood what Wimbledon meant," he said, with a sigh.

EIGHT QUARTERS BUT NOT A FINAL
There's no doubt he understands it now. He understands that he has made eight quarter-finals in nine years and boasts a record at Wimbledon that is bettered only by the seven-time champion Pete Sampras. He understands that under his coach Paul Annacone he came into the tournament a far more complete player than ever before, and he understands that none of that means anything when you lose and know that, at 29, you're chances of winning the title are receding.

"Right now it's no consolation," he said. "My hopes and desires and aims were to win this tournament and having lost it, it's a tough one to swallow. There's no question my game has developed and maybe in the next couple of weeks when I've got past this I'll be able to look at the progress I've made."

It might all have been different had Henman come through the tight-as-a-drum first set, or if the second serve which Ancic hit at 2-2 in the first set tiebreak had been called long, or if Henman had played as well as he did in his previous match against Mark Philippoussis. "That's the nature of it," he said. "There were tight calls that went my way against Philippoussis. I don't think a match is dictated by one call that goes your way or goes against you. If I'm capable of playing that way two days ago then why couldn't I have done that today? I could have done it, but unfortunately I didn't."

Having lost the first-set tiebreak, Henman's energy levels seemed to drop sharply, perhaps as a result of both the shock of being a set down to the No. 63 player and a lingering cold which, according to sources close to the player, has been troubling him lately. Whatever the reason Ancic made the most of it.

In the wailing and gnashing of teeth that will go on in Britain in the wake of Henman's defeat, it's worth remembering that Ancic played a fearless, clever and powerful match and found a way to greet the biggest occasion of his career with a near-flawless display of grass court tennis.

Fred & Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

Mario Ancic lives up to his potential.

ANCIC: A PLAYER OF PROMISE
As Ancic's former coach, Bob Brett, put it, "He's got a dedication to being a champion that you don't see in very many players." Under the guidance of Australian Rohan Goetzkee, who was with '96 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek for most of his career, Ancic has matured into the player he promised to be when he beat Roger Federer here in 2002, the last time the Swiss Maestro lost on grass.

"Me and Rohan were working on more some technical things," Super Mario said. "My serve has improved a lot over the year. Especially I won couple major points with my second serve. That was the main thing that I improved. We worked also on aggressive style of game. When you'RE playing good tennis, of course, you're confident, but I knew I have to stay calm because I'm playing such a great player. I knew if I lost it a little bit, things can change a lot, especially with such a crowd on his side."

The fact that he was outplayed may assuage Henman's disappointment at the defeat, and he was quick to point out that, in his words, "I definitely came second." But the emergence of another younger, more powerful opponent ready to stand between him and the title will not help the hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach.

With the likes of Andy Roddick, Federer, and now Ancic with claims to the title that are more realistic than Henman's and offer little to British sentiment, it's a feeling that may get ever more familiar.

"I've never hidden behind the fact that this is the tournament I'd love to win the most," he said. "The reality is that I don't have an endless number of years for chances. I felt this was a good opportunity. I'm sure it won't detract from what I do with regard to my game because there's a number of years ahead of me as long as I stay fit and healthy. I'm sure that my desire and dedication and motivation will always be there. But it's the reality. I've not got endless chances."