Henman battles way to five set win over Karlovic

TIM HENMAN won his first-round match against Ivo Karlovic in the US Open at Flushing Meadows yesterday. The British number one was 2-1 down but grafted his way to a fifth set before out-classing his opponent in the decider.

The fifth seed meets Jerome Golmard of France in the next round - who won when Irakli Labadze retired - and he will be fresher than Henman after his gruelling 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (7-9) 4-6 6-4 6-4 win.

Henman’s fitness was less of a worry during this victory, although his performance against an inferior player looked rusty.

The 6ft 10in opponent was erratic throughout. At times he would volley wildly wide yet he would also produce unlikely winners and deft volleys when it looked like his game could fall apart.

Henman seems to have lost the good form that took him to the semi-final of the French Open where he lost to Guillermo Coria earlier this year. His preparation for the tournament lacked any lengthy time on court and also included an embarrassing first round defeat in the Olympics. This match-fitness seemed to tell with Karlovic grinding the 30-year-old down with his serve.

There were glimpses of Henman’s class but he never sustained pressure against the Croatian’s huge service.

There were some pleasant passes from the Briton, sometimes from improbable angles, but it was never backed up with consistent solid returns.

The first set predictably went to a tie-break as Henman found no answer to Karlovic’s serve - he was also working hard to hold himself. But he must have thought the game was for the taking when he took the first mini-break and won the tie-break 9-7.

The fifth seed looked like running away with a victory when he had the first break point of the game at 3-2 in the second. But Karlovic’s serve was accurate again and backed up with excellent winners.

The pressure began to show on Karlovic’s serve and Henman had two set points in the 10th game - but tidy volleys saved the Croatian.

Henman then had another three set points in the 12th game, only for his opponent to deny him again and there was another tie-break.

Karlovic was the first to grab the mini-break advantage and he had three set-points to level and took the set 7-6 (9-7).

He punched the air in celebration when he took the second set - and seemed inspired at the start of the third and took the opening three games.

He took the first game without losing a point and broke Henman in the second as Henman looked rocked by his second set disappointment. But Henman broke back in the fifth game when Karlovic misjudged a chipped return and it dropped in. At 5-4 Karlovic converted the first of his two set points to take the set 6-4.

Henman broke in the third game of the fourth when his opponent missed an easy volley - and he held his serve to take the set 6-4 to send the match into a decider.

He was then gifted the first game of the final set when Karlovic double-faulted when defending a break point.

Henman held his nerve - and his serve - to win the last set 6-4.