Tim Henman has declared himself ready for his final hurrah.

The former British No 1, from Oxfordshire, makes his farewell to the sport in the Davis Cup tie against Croatia at Wimbledon, starting today.

And the 33-year-old, who aims to help Great Britain win promotion back to the elite World Group at the end of his illustrious career, said: "I'm excited about one big last push and, hopefully, we can get the result.

"I'm certainly aware there are only a few days left, but, because of the nature of the tie and how important it is, all my energy is focused on it."

Henman is relishing the final appearance at Wimbledon, where he reached the semi-finals four times, and believes the grass of No 1 court will give the home team a significant advantage.

He explained: "We've had some very good practice so far and all of us feel comfortable on the grass.

"It doesn't take us long to make the transition from other surfaces.

"It's quite late in the year to be playing outdoors, let alone on grass, but it's the best choice of surface for us to be playing Croatia."

Britain know they have to put the emotion surrounding Henman's departure to one side and he is determined not to let it affect the team performance.

He said: "It's no different to any match in my career. I've always given it my best shot and this weekend will be no different.

"People might say you can see the finishing line in terms of my career but it's a positive for me."

Henman, who lives at Aston Tirrold near Didcot, is ready to once again carry the burden of playing three five-set matches over three days if required.

He explained: "One of the significant aspects of my age is that you don't recover as quickly. But playing on grass is a big help, it's definitely easier on my back.

"If I'm required to play five-set matches three days in a row, I feel ready to go."

5:49pm Thursday 20th September 2007

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