Rafter And Henman Rock Royal Albert Hall

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 9th December 2013

Rafter And Henman Rock Royal Albert Hall

epa03975545 Patrick Rafter of Australia returns the ball to Mats Wilander of Sweden during their match at the gala tournament Tennis Classics in Papp Laszlo Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary, 03 December 2013. EPA/Tibor Illyes HUNGARY OUT |

Serve and volley coming from both sides of the net is now an almost extinct tennis art form but Patrick Rafter and Tim Henman proved it is still possible in the final of London’s Statoil Masters with the Australian coming out on top with an impressive display that suggested he could still out maneuver a few current day players on the main ATP World Tour.

London’s Royal Albert Hall might have had a new court laid in purple this year for the event that is now a well-established part of the pre-Christmas build up in the capital of the United Kingdom. But the surface was still quick and perfect for Rafter’s game, even at the age of 40.

The Aussie Davis Cup captain, who won this London tournament back in 2009, was too athletic for Henman, winning emphatically 6-3. 6-1. And the two times US Open champion happily admitted: “That’s the best tennis that I’ve played since I’ve been doing these events.

“I feel like I found something in my game, which is weird at 40 years of age. I feel like I’m actually still working on things.   ”I’ve enjoyed it. I always love being in London with the family and the kids at this time of year. it’s been a great week for me.”

Rafter maintained the fact he retired from the ATP World Tour at the age of 28 has helped him maintain a competitive edge that has not been dampened by repetitive shoulder surgeries.

“If you want to serve like that, you can have three operations on your shoulder and have it all reconstructed, that’s fun,” joked Rafter.

“Part of it might be that I didn’t drag things on beyond my 30th birthday in the same way that a lot of the guys do. Plus, I still love winning. I think it’s important that the crowd knows that too. That’s what it’s all about. Having a go and trying your hardest. You have fun, but it’s still really competitive.”

Henman, a busy member of the All England Club’s Committee of Management that runs the Wimbledon Championships and these days spends more time on the golf course than tennis courts, said: “Henman said, “Pat’s been playing fantastically well and was just too good for me.

“Every match this week, he’s shown he’s been the best player here. He was too good for me, he’s serving unbelievable. I could have done everything a little bit better, but the way Pat’s playing, his consistent level is very impressive.”

In the Legends event, John McEnroe celebrated his 15th visit to the London tournament by capturing the title for the third year in a row beating Mats Wilander 6-2, 6-4 in a repeat of last year’s final.

Topics: 10sballs, Atp World Tour, John Mcenroe, London, Patrick Rafter, Royal Albert Hall, Sports, Statoil Masters, Tennis, Tennis News, Tim Henman