Henman crashes out

TIM HENMAN crashed out of the Masters Series event in Rome yesterday after Argentina’s Mariano Zabaleta stormed back from a set down to seal his place in the quarter-finals.

Zabaleta won 3-6 6-3 6-2 to advance to a last eight meeting at the Foro Italico with either Nicolas Massu or Marat Safin.

Henman has shown some fine form on clay this season and he looked particularly assured during his 6-1 6-1 demolition of Radek Stepanek on Wednesday. Just like he did against the Czech, Henman broke on his first opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in the first set.

Zabaleta never threatened a break and the remaining games went with serve as Henman saw out the set 6-3. The tables turned at the start of the second, however, and Henman hit a forehand into the net to give his opponent the early break before Zabaleta held for a 3-0 lead.

Henman stopped the rot by holding to make it 1-3 but Zabaleta was not about to throw away his advantage and the set went with serve before Zabaleta clinched the ninth game to love with a clinical smash.

The Argentinian broke Henman to 30 in the opening game of the decider when the Briton mis-placed a forehand down the line.

And Zabaleta confirmed his superiority by breaking again, at the second time of asking, with a blistering backhand to take a 4-1 lead. Henman was all but out at that point and his exit was confirmed when Zabaleta served out the match with a love game.