Big, badly shaven and with a look in his eyes that gives alley cats a bad name, Courier just doesn't know the meaning of the word surrender.

And when he's feeling `kinda blustery' as he puts it, you're in for a real battle. Take Friday at Wimbledon against Sjeng Schalken.

Courier was two sets to one down, saved a match point in both the fourth and fifth sets, served seven times to stay in the match and eventually won it after four hours 25 minutes. World number one Pete Sampras, who has suffered the rough edge of Courier's tongue in the past, says Courier is the toughest of them all.

``Jim's strongest quality is his heart. You know he's going to lay it on the line and fight to the last point,'' Sampras said. Ironically, Courier got into trouble at the Australian Open in January when he alleged some playersmust be blood-doping because how else could they survive such long matches?

In his case it is bloody-mindedness that keeps him going and a tremendous pride which encompasses strong patriotism.

Courier, his baseball cap crammed down tight, loves representing his country in the Davis Cup -- the US has never lost in the 13 ties he has played -- as Britain found to their cost in April.

In a heart-stopping tie, Courier beat Tim Henman in the opening singles in five sets, including three tie-breaks, and then beat Greg Rusedski in the final decider in four sets.

Both men were ranked much higher than Courier but they were worn down by the old warrior, the man his captain Tom Gullikson said was ``the guy you want there when it's crunch time.''

Now Courier plays Henman again and no one is betting against a five-set thriller, or against Courier emerging victorious.

Henman has the better grass court pedigree, better touch at the net -- but he still seems to lack that essential mental toughness to take himfrom six in the world to Number One.

Henman, the weight of British expectation on his shoulders, said his Davis Cup defeat by Courier was `the most educational match' of his career.

``You've got to learn to be able to perform under those levels of pressure -- the whole weekend was a really big learning process,'' Henman said of the Davis Cup cauldron.

``He's a big match player -- when it's a big occasion that ranking of his is perhaps lying a bit. He seems to pull through those tough matches and that's a sign of a great player.''

Courier is looking forward to the re-match and has some sympathy for Henman on the subject of mental toughness.

``That's the million dollar question, isn't it? You never know if you're good enough to get through until you actually get through.''

The American won two French Opens and two Australian Opens in his golden period and is now ranked a lowly 64. But the streetfighter says he has never had so much fun on the circuit.

``Throughout my career there's been times ofextreme joy and extreme stress. But I'm really happy to be out on tour now and if I don't win many matches, I feel like I'm bouncing back better than I did back then.''