Tennis: Henman loses in rain-delayed semi

Tim Henman lost his rain-delayed semi-final against Gustavo Kuerten at the Masters Series event in Cincinnati.

Kuerten won the match on a third-set tie-break and he will tackle the challenge of Pat Rafter in the final later.

Kuerten finished a 6-2 1-6 7-6 (7/4) winner in the match which began last night before storms hit the state of Ohio.

The gap in class between the British number one and the Champions Race leader was hardly discernable in the rain-interrupted match yesterday.

Kuerten, who controversially missed Wimbledon this year, took the first set last night, but trailed 5-1 in the second when the storms hit.

The weather had also delayed the start of the match, which was Kuerten's first since reclaiming his Champions Race top spot from Andre Agassi.

Henman succeeded in today's initial task of holding serve to force a deciding set.

And he will have recalled that last year's semi followed a similar path where Kuerten took the first set before succumbing to defeat.

Back then it went to a tie-break, and Henman did well to force another after falling 4-2 behind in the third set.

Kuerten is the best player in the world right now and moved ahead when Henman double-faulted on break-point in the sixth game of the final set.

In a set far apart from the lop-sided nature of the opening two, Henman broke back in the next game as he boldly and consistently attacked the net - and he then levelled for 4-4.

In the tie-break Kuerten claimed a crucial immediate break and then claimed another to go 5-2 ahead.

Henman gave brief hope to the few Britons on Centre Court when he won the next point on Kuerten's serve.

But it was only a temporary reprieve and he volleyed long on his next service point to hand the man from Florianopolis a place in his seventh final of the year.

With five titles in the bag already, he goes into the final a big favourite for victory against Rafter who is title-less this season but contending his third successive final after Wimbledon and Montreal.