Federer cruises past Henman in straight sets

British star Tim Henman's Wimbledon hopes were ended today after he was thrashed by world number one Roger Federer in the second round.

It was always going to be a difficult task for four-times semi finalist Henman - unseeded at this tournament for the first time in a decade.

Swiss ace Federer is on a winning streak on grass - with 43 matches in a row under his belt, surpassing the record of Bjorn Borg, and is aiming to make this his fourth Wimbledon.

Despite a supportive home crowd with the shouts of ``Come on Tim'' ringing around Centre Court, 31-year-old Henman fell in straight sets 6-4 6-0 6-2 in just one hour and 24 minutes.

But it was not all doom and gloom for British tennis after wildcard Melanie South fought back from one set down for a shock victory over 11th seed Francesca Schiavone.

Schiavone, ranked 14 in the world, became the first major casualty of the tournament as South celebrated her first outing at the All England Club with a stunning 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory.

Roared on by the crowd, the 20-year-old was able to claim the biggest win of her career, watched by the legendary Martina Navratilova.