By Tom Fordyce BBC Sport Online

Tim Henman has reached four Wimbledon semi-finals, beaten the best players in the world and won an Olympic silver medal.

But already his performances over the weekend in the Davis Cup win over Thailand are being talked of as his greatest ever.

Okay, the cynics can say, let's not go over the top - Britain's opponents relied upon Danai Udomchoke, ranked 574th in the world in singles and 885th in doubles.

Henman's shoulder had been expected to confine him to the doubles

But Henman's team-mates Miles Maclagan and Arvind Parmar are hardly names to send shivers down Thai spines either.

And as Andre Agassi will tell you, Paradorn Srichaphan is a player to treat with respect.

Srichaphan beat Agassi at Wimbledon this year and could have been expected to push anyone to the limit, let alone a man whose injured shoulder had kept him out of action since the US Open.

Henman, despite three matches in three days and the weight on those fragile shoulders of the nation's hopes, saw him off in merciless style on Sunday to give Britain an uncatchable 3-1 lead.

This was on top of a win over Udomchoke on Friday and a doubles win with Miles Maclagan on Saturday.

Henman has rightly been the subject of unfamiliar praise this year.

The criticism he endured after losing so tamely to Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon did not last long, and this Davis Cup tie showed why.

Without Henman, Britain would not have had a cat in hell's chance of staying in the World Group. Over the three days he almost single-handedly dragged the team to victory.

Maclagan played his part, but the manner of Martin Lee and Parmar's defeats served only to highlight Henman's heroics.

The reality for British tennis after Henman has gone is horribly apparent.

In that light, making four Wimbledon semis begins to seem like an achievement, rather than a failing to be lambasted.

Contrast, too, Henman's attitude with that of Greg Rusedski.

Henman was forced to use an injection of cortisone and yards of surgical tape to get his dodgy shoulder through.

As recently as last Wednesday he had doubted whether he could do more than play just the doubles. But he made it.

Rusedski's foot is causing him pain. No one doubts that. But this was an occasion to grit the teeth and play even half-fit, because the team needed it.

Henman found the win intensely satisfying

The real Davis Cup test, of course, is still to come.

This weekend's win may have prevented relegation to the Euro-African zone - but Britain have not won a Davis Cup World Group tie since 1986.

The only possible home match they could get next year would be against France, who are already through to this year's final.

A tie against Russia or Holland would go to lots to decide the venue, but any other. against the five countries most likely to be seeded, would be away from home.

Winning in Australia, Argentina, the USA, Sweden or Spain would require more than the desire and talent of one man, no matter how well he played.