ALL HAIL HENMAN BRITON PULLING HIS GAME TOGETHER.

Byline: Lauren Gustus Staff Writer

INDIAN WELLS - Maybe Tim Henman deserves the honor after all.

Henman, patron saint of all things tennis in Great Britain, has a scrap of grass named after him at Wimbledon. It's called Henman's Hill.

And with it come the expectations of a nation that holds its few sports heroes close (see: David Beckham). Each June, Britons make a pilgrimage to the spot to cheer on the man who has yet to win a Grand Slam in 11 years since he turned pro. The man who in November won his first Masters Series event, a tier below the Slams.

He'll play today for his second, against the world's No. 1, Roger Federer of Switzerland, in the final of the Pacific Life Open.

How does Henman, who looks more suited to a game of horseshoes than tennis, handle the expectations of a nation? How does he answer the cadre of British press that follows him from event to event after a loss?

``It can't always be plain sailing,'' said Henman, who defeated Iralki Labadze of the Republic of Georgia 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals. ``There are going to be plenty of bumps down the line. If you're frustrated, there's two options: Either you get more frustrated, and that's going to be to your detriment, or you deal with it and try to calm down and play better tennis.''

Henman, a relatively senior player on the tour at 29, has been playing better lately because of many factors - a new coach, a new baby, his first Masters' Series win and better fitness - all of which he believes have put him more at ease on the court.

``In years gone by I haven't been able to get the balance right,'' Henman said. ``I either played, you know, too cautiously from the baseline or I've suddenly just tried to come in on everything. I think just the selection process, I'm getting a lot better at now.''

His world ranking, according to the ATP champions race, is No. 10.

He is the only player to beat Federer this year, which he did in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Henman is 6-1 against Federer, who many see as having the potential to be one of the game's greatest, and Henman's loss came when he withdrew from their match because of a neck injury. Only former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt has more wins (seven) over Federer.

In the beginning, Henman constructed his game around the as-yet unattainable Wimbledon title. He is a serve-and-volley player, a style that suits the grass at his home Slam. He is one of the few players on tour to successfully employ the strategy Pete Sampras used to win 14 Grand Slam titles.

But he's changed his approach recently, staying back on some points and coming in on others. He's tried to become less predictable.

``He's been playing well for some time now,'' Federer said. ``Not only since a few weeks, since he beat me in Rotterdam ... I think he figured out his own game now. He knows what to do now, and the results show.''

Henman is by no means turning into a bruiser. He will not crush you with his 140-mph hour serve. He will not bury you with an inside-out forehand down the line. He does not have a killer two-handed backhand.

He picks. He needles. He plays you like a virtuoso violinist plays his instrument.

Part of the picking has come at the behest of Paul Annacone, Sampras' old coach and Henman's new one. He believes Annacone has helped with the mental aspect of the game.

``Talking about realizing that you're trying a little bit too hard and the rhythm is not quite as good as it could have been,'' Henman said.

Henman doesn't leave the ground like other players when he hits a big shot because more often than not his big shots are punch volleys or backhand slices. But a title at Wimbledon, three months from now, would lift him up on the shoulders of an entire country.

Lauren Gustus, [phone]

lauren.gustus(at)dailynews.com

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Tim Henman, pictured, will meet Roger Federer in the Pacific Life Open final.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

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