Henman laments changing game

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The former British No1 is retiring later this month having reached six grand slam semi-finals, won 11 titles on the ATP Tour and climbed as high as the number four in the world rankings. Yet the game has moved so far towards the big hitters since he turned professional in 1993 that he believes his serve-and-volley style has become increasingly difficult to implement successfully.

Talking about his 7-6 (7-2) 2-6 7-5 6-4 US Open defeat to Tsonga, Henman said: "I think it's a reflection of why, from a tennis point of view, probably I'm retiring from the game."

He added: "You look at Tsonga's style of play, I just think he's a classic, modern-day player. I think that's where it's become harder and harder for me to compete. You look at the way he serves, the way he hits his forehand, his athleticism, it's phenomenal these days.

"But there's a lot of other guys like that around. That's where I think with some of the back issues I've had, getting older, it gets harder."

Henman said he thought there was still a place for serve-volleying on the ATP Tour: "But I don't necessarily think it's perhaps the way that I have done it sort of in my career.

"I think I've been a sort of genuine serve-and-volleyer, whereas I think these days, the way people serve, you look to sort of crush a serve as hard as you can and then you run in behind it. If it comes back, you volley it.

"I don't think it's necessarily such a combination anymore. But obviously with I think the nature of the conditions and the balls, it's definitely becoming harder and harder to do, and, therefore, I think less and less people are really being taught it and encouraged it at a young age.

"Therefore, you've got an event here with 128 male players and there's going to be very few guys that are serving and volleying.

"I think it is sad because I think everybody knows that watching contrasts of styles is what makes a good spectacle. That's not to say there hasn't been, you look at the tennis today, there's been some phenomenal tennis."