Analysis: Bronze medal Tim

Henman, who retired this weekend after leading Britain into the Davis Cup World Group in an emotional swansong, is the only man to reach the last four of a grand slam six times and to never reach a final.

His next closest rivals in this inauspicious mark are Nikolay Davydenko and Sebastien Grosjean, who have each reached four slam semis without a finals appearance.

Henman famously made it to four Wimbledon semi-finals in a five-year span between 1998 and 2002 without ever tasting victory.

In addition to all of his successes and failures at the All England Club (eight quarter-finals in nine years), Henman also reached two more grand slam semi-finals and lost - in 2004 at the US Open and Roland Garros.

It was this consistency (the Oxford native finished inside the top-17 every year from 1997 to 2004) that not only made him the greatest British male player in Open Era history, but also the best player never to reach a grand slam final.

Despite this dubious honour, or more accurately because of it, Henman's career cannot be remembered among those of the game's greatest players - or even those who only have one or two major triumphs under their belts.

The only fact preventing Henman from being considered on par with similarly successful contemporaries - such as Richard Krajicek, Todd Martin, Mark Philippoussis, and Cedric Pioline - was his inability to reach that highest level.

His failure to do so puts Henman at the bottom of a second-tier of greats over the last 15 years, but his perennial near-triumphs place him ahead of the likes of Wimbledon finalists MaliVai Washington and David Nalbandian.

What kept Henman from matching players of an inferior level of consistency - such as Washington, Nalbandian, Philippoussis and Thomas Johansson - and achieving that desperately coveted next level - aside from a bit of rain and a lucky Goran Ivanisevic?

Despite a sterling 615-337 overall career record and a 495-274 record in ATP tournaments (35th for match wins in ATP history), Henman had a losing record (35-58) against opponents ranked inside the top-10.

Though he spent 243 weeks in the top-10 between 1998 and 2005, the grass-court star still struggled as a world beater when it counted.

That being said, Henman has at one time or another beaten every single world number one of the past 15 years including Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras.

That is how to reach six grand slam finals. Unfortunately, a 1-15 record when playing against the day's world number one - including an 0-5 record against top seeds at majors - demonstrates how to lose all six.

Though he will rightfully go down as the greatest British tennis player since the nation's last men's Wimbledon champion, Fred Perry - Henman ultimately ranked outside of the world's true elite.