Saturday: Beat Roddick (world number one, US Open champion). Easy!!
Tim Henman doesn't think he has ever beaten such a heavyweight batch of opponents in close succession.
It is a magnificent run of results which, in truth, was sheer Sue Townsend fantasy prior to arrival here in Paris.
His standards are not slipping an inch.
He set the bar incredibly high, with his win over Grosjean but, almost unbelievably, he has lifted the bar each time.
Against Roddick he played a highly intelligent match, combining aggressive net play with patience from the back of the court.
 |  There is a real chance Henman could be back in the top 10 within five months |
His consummate collection of winners expands further: the high-pressure overhead in the first set tie-break and the delicate stop-volley as the match reached its climax were Saturday's highlights. More Henman winners stand out from this week in Paris than from the rest of the year put together.
That is not a criticism, it is just a sign of the progress which has been made in his final tournament of the year.
A month ago, Henman said his end-of-season aim was to finish back inside the world's top 20.
At the time, ranked 38 in the world, this seemed an extraordinarily bold statement but the Roddick win gives him a projected ranking around the 17 mark.
With very few ranking points to defend before next summer's grass court season, there is a real chance Henman could be back in the top 10 within five months of 2004 - even sooner if he has a good run at January's Australian Open.
After a year during which three men barely out of their teens won Grand Slam titles, and Henman was written off as a "veteran" by one of the New York dailies, it is a timely reminder that he is not ready for the pipe and slippers just yet.
MMIX
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