Birthday gift sees Henman advance

TIM Henman reached the US Open quarter-finals for the first time as opponent Nicolas Kiefer withdrew in the fifth set of their fourth-round clash with a wrist injury at Flushing Meadows yesterday.

Henman, on his 30th birthday, was 3-0 up in the decider after a thrilling match and will be disappointed to have won the match by default after the pair had brought the best and worst out of each other in an entertaining spectacle.

Kiefer won the first set of their fourth-round clash on the tie-break. Henman double-faulted on the first point of the game and his German opponent took the first four games. Henman broke back twice to take the set into a tie-break but lost it 7-5.