Tim Henman, the former British Number 1, looks increasingly likely to end his run in the BBC commentary team during the group stages of the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena.
The perennial nearly-man today admitted he had been finding the matches increasingly tough at the end of another long, disappointing season - and also acknowledged that a strain to his vocal chords during warm-up had contributed to his lacklustre performances so far.
In front of a partisan home crowd, Henman had been buoyed by a groundswell of unrealistic public expectation leading him to believe that this year he would finally make it "all the way". But after being thoroughly outclassed by 57 year old John Lloyd in the tournament's opening match, Tiger Tim's hopes of making it beyond the group stages look as feeble as his trademark 'Fist Pump'.
Henman's exit will almost certainly see him slip further behind Sue Barker in the latest rankings.
