1 Response to washington03henman_gonzalez

1. Voo de Mar says:

   October 12, 2023 at 6:57 pm

   Points won by each set: | 41-37, 38-31 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   23 % Henman – 15 of 63
   20 % Gonzalez – 17 of 84

   A tournament which rewrote [38] Henman’s career at its late stage. He was in the age considered “veteran” at the time, he hadn’t won a title for more than a year, and was dropping in the ATP ranking. Following that triumph he experienced the best twelve months of his career; finally won a Masters 1K title (Paris ’03) and reached two major semifinals in 2004. The final against Gonzalez [14] was interrupted by rain twice in the opening set. The first interruption was crucial, it happened in the 2nd game as the Chilean led 40/30 – after the resumption they were involved in the longest game of the final which Henman ultimately took on his fifth break point chance. Gonzalez improved from 0:4* to 3:5 (break point), only to see Henman’s second serve ace. In the 2nd set the Brit got the crucial break in the first game despite trailing 0/40. “I lost a couple of finals in the United States, so I was keen to get a win on American soil and my 10th title,” Henman said. “So it’s a special day for me. I didn’t arrive here until Sunday and it wasn’t the ideal preparation, but it was just a question of getting acclimatized and getting used to these courts.” The following day they meet again (!), in the first round of the Canadian Open, and Gonzalez retires after losing a 2-6 set. Already in the final he signalized back problems.

   Henman’s route to his 10th title:
   2 Paul Goldstein 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
   3 Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4
   Q Paradorn Srichaphan 7-6(5), 7-5
   S Andy Roddick 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(1) – 1 m.p.
   W Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 6-4

   Serve & volley: Henman 3/5, Gonzalez 0

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