Tim made to wait

Players Under the Microscope / Editor / 28 May 2007 / Leave a Comment

Major rain delays at Roland Garros mean Tim Henman will have to wait until Tuesday to start his first round match at the French Open.

The British number two will face Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis in his first Grand Slam event of the year, having missed the Australian Open through injury.

Injuries have plagued the 32-year-old this season but Henman is hoping that all that is behind him now and that he can fully concentrate in the upcoming events - starting in Paris.

Henman has reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, back in 2004, and insists practice preparations have been going well ahead of this year's event.

The world number 53 revealed: "Clay might not be my favourite surface but my game has improved on it a lot over the years, so I'm looking forward to the French.

"I'm hitting the ball well in practice and I know I'm still capable of playing good tennis, and hopefully I'll get a few games under my belt in France.

"I don't think there's a lot wrong with my game. I still believe I can win tournaments because on any given day I can beat pretty much anyone."

Betfair punters see Henman as the favourite in his first round tie, with the Englishman trading at 1.6 while Gulbis can be backed at 2.6.

If successful, Henman is likely to face 25th seed Robin Soderling in the second round.