Will we ever have a champ?

Henman's record is also good against defending Wimbledon champion Roger Federer which makes the 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 loss to Ancic even more exasperating.

The gloom that settled on Centre Court will probably take until 2034 to evaporate because there was a real belief that Henman's time had come.

Now, it's gone for another 12 months and 29-year-old Henman is going to take a couple of weeks off from tennis, spend time with his family, play golf to a ridiculously high standard and, just maybe, catch a few points from the remaining days of the championships.

It may be harsh to judge Henman's tennis career on whether he ever wins Wimbledon but then life isn't fair. If it was, then Henman would have already claimed the men's singles crown.

Henman said: "People are entitled to their opinions and I am sure that my career will be judged by if I win Wimbledon.

"I am big enough and strong enough not to pay attention to it. Things in life aren't fair and after this defeat it's time to switch off and relax."

If that sounds like the words of a broken man who is resigned to coming up short, then you would be very wrong. Winning Wimbledon is an obsession that will keep Henman working hard on and off court to retain a place in the world's top 10 and the nation should - once the depression has lifted - give thanks once again that we have a player who can go deep into the second week of grand slams.

Henman will carry our medal hopes in the tennis competition at the summer Olympics in Athens and will be a genuine challenger at the US Open - the final grand slam of the year.

At the moment he has no inclination to pick up a racket, which seems totally understandable. Those who believe he is a bottler have no comprehension of the desire to succeed that keeps him motivated.

Henman explained: "Because of the decreasing number of chances I have to win Wimbledon, the feelings of disappointment intensify, and having lost this match, it's a tough one to swallow.

"I ask myself if I am going to win this tournament and it is a big talking point. That's the nature of the tournament being in the UK and me being the only player right now. I have never hidden behind the fact that this is a tournament I would love to win.

"However, I don't have an endless number of years and this was a good opportunity. You either have selfbelief or you don't.

"I don't know why I do, but I believe I am pretty good at this game and I am going to keep working hard. It's about fulfilling one's potential. If you give it your best then you will probably find out what your potential is." The arrival of Paul Annacone as coach, who guided Pete Sampras to five of his seven Wimbledon titles, has helped give Henman more weapons to deploy on court.

In yesterday's quarter-final, it was Ancic who had even mightier weapons and that decided the battle.

The bottom line is: if you take Henman out of the equation, we are a Third World tennis nation with little to suggest anything is going to change before our current hero becomes chairman of the All England Club.