Cash's cheering for Henman

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash would love it if Tim Henman won the famous SW19 Championship this year.

But the Australian legend, winner of the title in 1987, is adamant Swiss ace Roger Federer is the man to beat once again.

Federer won the championship in style last season and unless he gets injured, Cash believes Henman and the rest of the top players will have a real job to stop him defending his crown.

Cash said: “Tim has a good chance and I expect him and Andrew (Murray) to win a few matches this year, but it is going to be very tough to win the tournament.

“Tim has probably done enough, but he is one of those dying breeds in tennis. There are not a lot of the serve-volleyers around these days.

“I think Andy has a good chance, but he is going to have to play well because the standard is so high.”

Cash draws particular mention to Henman’s tough draw this year, going in as an unseeded player.

That means he could face someone like Federer in the first round of the tournament – a nightmare draw for any player, let alone Henman.

Cash continued: “Tim will be hoping for a good draw and hoping he doesn’t get drawn against one of the big names.

“If he gets through that match then anything can happen, but it is going to be very tough.”

Cash predicts Federer will be the man who probably goes on to win this year’s tournament, although with the likes of Andy Roddick and other leading players such as fellow Australian Leyton Hewitt battling for honours, then victory at this year’s tournament is going to be very difficult.

The Aussie added: “The crowd will get behind Tim but you have got to put your money on Roger Federer. He is going to be so hard to beat.”

Cash was speaking at the Liverpool International grass court tournament at Calderstones Park, where during the last two days he has played exhibition matches with another former Wimbledon champion, big hitting left-hander Goran Ivanisevic.

Cash beat Ivanisevic in the first of the pair’s head to head, but was looking forward to Wimbledon even though he was enjoying his time on court.

“The Liverpool tournament is excellent and it was great to see a big crowd,” said Cash, who played in front of 4,000 people who had come to watch him and Ivanisevic lock horns.

Cash added: “We had a good match out there and it was good fun. I am sure this tournament will grow and grow and it was good to play Goran. I’ve played him a bunch of times and we always have good matches.”

Joining Cash and Ivanisevic at the popular Liverpool tournament, now in its fifth year, was former British Davis Cup star Barry Cowan.

Cowan, who does punditry work for Sky television and who lives in nearby Southport, believes this year’s championship could be a close run affair, although his tip for the championship, unsurprisingly, is Federer.

“Both Tim (Henman) and Greg (Rusedski) are in the twilight of their careers, so the pressure’s off them and no one is talking about them maybe as much as in other years,” said Cowan.

“But Wimbledon is a funny tournament and if they win a couple of matches anything can happen.

Nobody knows whether Greg will play because he has picked up an injury, but Tim’s made four semi-finals and never played his best tennis at Wimbledon.

“Maybe it’s his year, but he is going to have to do something special.”