London: Tim Henman will win Wimbledon. He is playing with great confidence... it is his year.

The Briton himself would never say as much but a man who knows more than a little about timing, fate and Wimbledon magic is more than happy to put his money where his mouth is.

“Tim will win,” Goran Ivanisevic said with his broad Croatian smile. “It is his year. He has got what he was missing before... he is really enjoying it now.

“Getting to the semi-finals of the French Open on clay, beating those guys, he has shown he can really do it,” added the player who entered Wimbledon folklore in 2001 when he won the tournament as a wildcard.

“I am going to put some money on Tim. It is the first time I can say that he is No. 1 favourite.”

Ivanisevic has never been able to defend his title due to injuries. This year the 32-year-old returns to the All England Club for the first time since his victory — and it will be his last tournament.

“Listen, Wimbledon means everything to me... I qualified there in 1988, that was the start of everything,” he said at Queen’s Club where he is preparing for his farewell.

“I lost three finals there, two semi-finals. Everyone thought I was finished and then I won it. Wimbledon and me, we have a special relationship.” (Reuters)