Outlook still not clear for Henman

There were times Tim Henman seemed umbilically linked to the elements; a sweep of sets where the sun kissed his play and others where grey clouds settled uncomfortably over a brutally fractured match on Centre Court.

It was Henman in normal four seasons mode; elegance entwined with head spins and stomach churns, bright serve/volley stretches that illuminated his quarter-final struggle with Sebastien Grosjean followed by depressing episodes of Henman taking liberties, belittling his talent and his ranking. Finally the weather pressed it's case and the two players retired, Grosjean leading 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 with Henman 2-1 up in the fourth set.

By now the painted faces that dutifully brave the rain on Henman Hill overlooking the stadium should be used to such imperfect performances from the British number one, who has spun out one of the longest dream sequences in British sport.

But how many credible chapters can Henman write for an uncritical public and how many more times can he ask them to take a walk with him for most of Wimbledon fortnight? That ability to share the dream and lead the walk has been his strength. His failure, so far, is never have been able to take them to the end, where the fairytale end awaits.

You can read Henman's deal as an annual tumbril ride to the public guillotine or see it as a player bravely slugging it out each year without any of the weapons of those players who have won the championship. You can call him fragile and ill-equipped but he has dragged himself so often to this point and further with such scarce resources.

The Pete Sampras serves, first and second; the Andre Agassi returns and his jet boots around the court; the Lleyton Hewitt addiction for confrontation, for five hours if needs be; the Goran Ivanisevic right arm fusillade or John McEnroe's magical game; they all have something for other players to fear.

Tim Henman has soft hands at the net. In the tennis world you don't need a licence for soft hands and Henman, given yesterday's ragged third set performance and the fact that he's coming off a shoulder injury, cannot expect much change. The resumption today with Grosjean may be a realistic time to tell the fans on the grass to go home.

Another of the hands Henman has been dealt and which has prevented him from becoming the first British player since Fred Perry in 1936 to win the championship is his luck, or, lack of it.

The 10th seed has lost to the eventual champion on each of the four occasions he has scrapped his way to the semi-final stage. In 1998 and 1999 it was Sampras, in 2001 it was Goran Ivanisevic in his glorious twilight charge, never to be seen again, and last year it was Hewitt.

"I think that the crowd support has always been pretty incredible here. But you know they chose their moments as well. With regards to expectations, I don't think they've changed," he said just before facing Grosjean.

"I couldn't be happier in my position right now. But I know that if my level drops, if my performance drops, you know I'll lose. But if I keep playing the way I am, keep doing the right things, I've got a good opportunity," he added.

Henman is hoping to reach his fifth Wimbledon semi-final in six years against a player three places lower than him in the rankings, but who beat him in the semi-final at the warm up tournament at Queens.

He would have known what the weather had in store but probably not that he would walk off court four times as heavy clouds showered London.

The match, which began shortly after 1.00pm, had only reached 1-1 in the third set when the two players again tried to complete it at 6.40pm. It ended at 7.26pm.

At that stage in the gloaming, play followed a first set where both players lost serve twice. That ended with Grosjean taking it by the narrowest of margins 10-8 in a tiebreak. The Frenchman's forehand pass as Henman approached the net was only his second set point, Henman having missed four.

The second stanza followed the same pattern, with the two exchanges of serve in the opening games then held until the eighth game, where Henman earned three break points.

This time Henman, on Grosjean's second serve, clipped the net return throwing his opponent composure off. The point crucially handed him the game and he served out to bring the match to a set each.

Once more the rain interrupted at 1-1 in the third set and the players departed for two hours. The locker room backgammon clearly didn't benefit Henman as he came out to win just four points in the first three games after the resumption.

Although he broke back for parity, Grosjean stepped up again and in the eighth game hit three return winners on Henman's serve to break, serving out the set for 6-3 and a 2-1 lead.

By then the light was fading badly but Grosjean's concern was the grass underfoot, which he claimed was becoming perilously slippery. "It's dangerous, ask him," said the Frenchman to the Portuguese umpire Carlos Ramos at the change over as Henman led 2-1 in the fourth.

Henman seemed ready to continue but as the rain continued to fall lightly, there was really little choice and play was suspended by tournament referee Alan Mills at 7.26pm.

"In fairness to the players you can't hold them any longer," said Mills. "It's slippery and dangerous."

It's not the first time Henman has landed a marathon and two years ago he was actually required to come out for a third day's play against Goran Ivanisevic in the 2001 semi-final.

That one Henman lost and the Croat went on to win his only Wimbledon title against Pat Rafter on the Monday, a day after the final was scheduled to be played.

Mark Philippoussis and Alexander Popp suffered the same fate in a match that went to the fifth set.

The Australian, who has lost three quarter-finals here, lost the first two 6-4, 6-4. But then came a remarkable fightback in which Philipossis took the following two sets 6-3, 6-3 - dropping just two points on his serve in the fourth - to level the match, which closed at 2-2 in the fifth.