Henman nails Murray with first win in four attempts

Sep 27, 2006, 15:33 GMT

Britain\'s Tim Henman returns to Britain\'s Andy Murray during play in the first round of the Thailand Open in the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday 27 September 2006. EPA/BARBARA WALTON

Bangkok - Tim Henman won the fourth edition of the battle of Britain Wednesday with a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory over Andy Murray to advance to the second round of the Thailand Open.

Henman, making his debut at the event after missing last year with back injuries, scored a first victory against Murray after losing to the 16th-ranked teenager twice this summer and for the first time nearly a year ago in Basel.

But the 32-year-old was not reading too much into the win.

'Take away the name and the nationality and it was a good win against a top player,' said the four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist whose season has been tempered by intermittent his back problems.

Murray only arrived in Bangkok on Monday after flying in from a Davis Cup win at the weekend in Ukraine.

'It was really hard to get ready to play here, I wasn't tired, but it is such a change from Davis Cup play,' said Murray, whose ranking will remain inside the Top 20 despite losing early at an event where he played the 2005 final against Roger Federer.

'Playing Tim is always big,I knew it would not be easy at all. I just couldn't play my best after 18 hours of travel.'

After pronouncing himself basically injury-free for the past six months, number 58 Henman is prepared to see once again where his game can take him, with Scot Murray wearing all of the pressure of playing as British number 1.

Henman improving to 23-16 in this abbreviated season.

'He's had a tough schedule,' said Henman, who next takes on his second straight Brit in Alex Bogdanovic. 'Andy's had a lot of matches and I'm sure he was tired.'

Henman won a monster final game of the first set to crack open the contest.

The veteran saved four break points before salvaging a fifth which came on a double-fault. Henman then steadied to finally claim the set on his fourth set point after 62 minutes.

He gained more momentum from 4-0 in the second set and close out the confidence building win with a volley winner.

There was a win for Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, with the fifth seed defeating a tough Argentine in Edgardo Massa 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-2.

The number 247 South American made a match of the opening set before fading against the number 17.

Frenchman Julien Benneteau beat Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi while German Rainer Schuettler opened with victory over Korean Hyung-taik Lee 6-1, 6-4.

Monaco's Benjamin Balleret handed Germany a defeat as he beat Alexander Waske 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.