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 Bidding to end a 62-year drought Henman wins, but not fast enough for football fans
Posted: Monday June 22, 1998 07:28 PM
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- The young voice came from high in the stands on Court One, urging Tim Henman to close out his first-round match Monday at Wimbledon. "C'mon!" the boy shouted. "We want to watch the football!" Henman, trying to become the first Briton to win Wimbledon since 1936, found himself competing Monday against both Jiri Novak and the World Cup. The last part of Henman's five-set victory over Novak overlapped the start of the English soccer team's game in France against Romania. The result was a distraction for fans -- and Henman. "People shouted out things about the football, and to tell you the truth, it irritated me," he said. "Things like, `We want to watch football.' Well, I agree with them, but it's not what you want to be hearing. It doesn't help." Henman finally outlasted Novak 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, then headed for a television to watch the World Cup match, which Romania won 2-1. The men from the other side of the Atlantic, free to concentrate on tennis, fared well on Wimbledon's first day. Pete Sampras began his bid for a record-tying fifth title by beating Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, while Andre Agassi eased past Alex Calatrava 6-2, 6-4, 6-3. Unseeded Justin Gimelstob upset French Open runnerup Alex Corretja 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 6-3, and Michael Chang also won. Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov, regarded as a potential challenger to Sampras' reign, lost against big-serving Australian Mark Philippoussis, 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-2. The 12th-seeded Henman, a quarterfinalist the past two years, is also considered a title threat -- if he can hold up under the pressure of his nation's expectations. A statue of the late Fred Perry near the entrance to the All England Club serves as a reminder that he was the last Brit to win Wimbledon -- 62 years ago. "Henman has a good chance," said Sampras' coach, Paul Annacone. "It's hard for him because so much is made out of it. It's amazing. People don't understand the intensity of it. "But he handles it great. He handles it so well that he has a good chance. There's no reason he can't be around late in the second week." The World Cup could actually benefit Henman by deflecting some of the attention -- and pressure. As the kickoff to Monday's game approached, many Henman supporters headed for the exits, leaving the stands barely half full by the end of his match. Only two of 40 seats were occupied in a section reserved for members of the All England Club -- and Henman's parents are members. Henman's great grandmother, Ellen Stawell-Brown, was the first woman to serve overhand at Wimbledon. His grandfather, Henry Billington, reached the quarterfinals of men's doubles at Wimbledon in 1939. Those bloodlines -- and a serve-and-volley game perfectly suited for grass -- mean perennial high hopes for Henman in the UK. Britain's Greg Rusedski is also a title contender this year, but because he was born in Montreal and Henman in Oxford, there's no question which player the English would prefer to see holding the championship trophy. "I know that playing at home in this type of tournament, there's always going to be a lot of attention," Henman said. "I enjoy it." He enjoys it when he wins. But when Henman lost in the quarterfinals last year to Michael Stich, it was regarded as the greatest British tragedy since Hamlet. He narrowly escaped disaster Monday, despite squandering nine break points in the final two sets. When Novak sailed a shot long on match point, most of the dwindling crowd erupted. But a bobby behind the baseline merely folded his arms. Perhaps because he's saving his applause until a Brit wins Wimbledon.
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Even with the irritating comments from the stands, Henman outlasted Novak 