Henman progresses in Australian Open

Tim Henman overcame a lapse in concentration to book his place in the second round of the Australian Open today.

Henman cruised through the opening two sets of his first-round clash with Cyril Saulnier in under an hour, losing just three games in the process in Melbourne.

The large British contingent in the Margaret Court Arena sat back in anticipation of an easy victory, but seasoned Henman watchers knew better and it was with an air of inevitability that the Frenchman was allowed back into the match.

Henman saved two break points in the sixth game of the third set but could not repeat the trick a few games later, Saulnier producing some superb passing shots to take the set 6-4.

Losing that set at least had the desired effect of sparking Henman, and the match itself, into life.

The seventh seed broke serve in the opening game of the fourth set, Saulnier crucially serving a double fault and smashing the errant ball out of court in frustration.

A sublime backhand lob then helped Henman to another break as he raced into a 3-0 lead, only for Saulnier, fuming at a debatable line call, to produce two brilliant winners of his own to reduce his arrears.

The next two games also went against the serve, making it four in a row, until Saulnier held serve to close within one game at 4-3.

This time however there was to be no way back for the Frenchman, Henman holding serve and then breaking his opponent for the fourth time in the set to seal a 6-1 6-2 4-6 6-3 victory.

Henman will face Romania’s Victor Hanescu in the second round, a player who lost to Britain’s Ian Flanagan, world ranked 866th at the time, in the second round at Queen’s last year.