London, June 30: Not for the first time, three-time champion John Mcenroe sees him as the favourite - but this week it looks like now or never for Tim Henman.

It's 67 years since a Briton held the men's singles trophy aloft at Wimbledon and it feels like even longer to home fans caught lingering over the faded black and white pictures of a long-trousered Fred Perry landing his third consecutive title.
The game of today is lightyears removed from the one that Perry played - he would have been equally astonished by racquets producing serves at around 230 kph as by prizemoney for the men's champion equivalent to some 20 years worth of average salary in a "mainstream" occupation.
For Henman, however, the pressure is not financial. It emanates from the knowledge that year after year the hopes of a nation rest on his shoulders - and his alone.
After blasting Swedish qualifier Robin Soderling in straight sets on Saturday Henman says he is ready for his fourth round duel with last year's finalist David Nalbandian of Argentina, who edged Slovakia's Karol Kucera in five sets in his third round encounter.



He was a little less happy to learn that Mcenroe was again backing him in the knowledge that he has fallen four times in the past five years at the semi-final stage, including 12 months ago to eventual champion Lleyton Hewitt.



"He's said that the last four years hasn't he," the British tenth seed laughed on hearing of Mcenroe's support.


Bureau Report