Wimbledon bows to Henman's wish

Wimbledon has bowed to pressure from British number one Tim Henman and will keep their new tennis balls as bouncy as possible for next month's grasscourt Grand Slam.

Organisers said on Thursday they would be scrap their policy of opening tennis balls from their pressurised containers before the tournament after Henman complained the balls were flat.

"Wimbledon said they open all the balls 'about' a week before the tournament," Henman said on Wednesday after losing in the French Open second round.

"I think that might have a part to play in why you feel like you're using flat balls after four or five games.

"It's obviously one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard of...you can imagine, by the time you get through to the second week...they look nice and new, and then they're basically flat.

"When you're out there trying to hit your serve and it won't go past 60 (miles per hour)...(that) might have something to do with it."

Four times a semi-finalist at the All England [Images] Club but yet to win a Grand Slam, attacking serve-volleyer Henman has for some time complained about the sport becoming slower and hampering his style.

On Thursday Wimbledon chief executive Chris Gorringe said: "Tim Phillips, the Chairman of the Club, and I have had a number of discussions with Tim Henman over the last couple of years during which we have discussed various issues, including the preparation of the courts and the specification of the ball, which itself has remained unchanged since 1995.

"More recently, we discussed the practice of opening the cans of balls a short time ahead of the matches.

"This practice has been carried out for over 10 years and was certainly not a couple of weeks in advance, as has been suggested.

"Although we have continually been advised by (manufacturer) Slazenger that this not would make any difference to the balls' playing properties, we had nevertheless decided in April this year that we would adopt the policy of opening the cans of new balls on court.

"I can confirm that, as with the other Grand Slams, this will be the case at the 2005 Championships."

"When I'm on the court and they crack the can, then that will be a good sound again," he smiled.

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