In football parlance it has been 24 years of hurt - that's how long it has been since a British player last tasted victory in singles at a Grand Slam event.

That was 1977 when Virginia Wade added a little extra sparkle to the silver jubilee celebrations by winning at Wimbledon.

Step forward Sue Barker, now the golden girl of BBC Sport. She had reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in 1975, and the following year she would reach the semis at Wimbledon, but that year in Paris she got it all right.

It seemed like it might be the first of many, certainly Barker thought so herself, but, at the age of 20, she had played and won the biggest game of her career.

"I get the old chills up the spine remembering all the feelings - they're great memories," says Barker.

"That, like Wimbledon, is a tremendous Championship. The French and Wimbledon are my favourites out of the four."

If the long wait for another British Grand Slam winner is to end, then, in truth, it is unlikely to happen at Roland Garros.

Henman's bid for both tournaments is going to be a solo mission as he has still not found a replacement for his former coach David Felgate.

In the long term, this is a problem that Henman needs to address, but for the moment, Barker feels that it should not affect his immediate results.

"I think he won't be worried about the fact he hasn't got a coach," she said.

"But what he will do is have people in his corner, not necessarily a coach but someone to make arrangements for practice, for practice partners, for getting racquets strung.

"It might be his good friend Andrew Richardson, who is another tennis player - just somebody who is on his side."

A lack of consistency has been a criticism of Henman's game - the difference between being a good top 16 player, and a great player who can win a Grand Slam.

If Henman hopes to find the consistency to win at Wimbledon in a few weeks time, then the next fortnight at Roland Garros would be a good time and place to start.