Henman reaches semis

Tim Henman put himself on course for another meeting with Roger Federer in the final of the AIG Japan Open, after a hectic day for the British number two in Tokyo.

Henman had to play both a third-round and quarter-final match today, because heavy rain interrupted the schedule.

However, he came through both to book a last-four match against Korea’s ninth seed Hyung-Taik Lee – with Federer and unseeded German Benjamin Becker set to play tomorrow’s other semi-final.

Big-serving Croatian Mario Ancic looked a likely stumbling block for Henman in a last-eight meeting which did not get under way until after 10pm local time.

However, number three seed Ancic, who had endured a tough three-setter against Rainer Schuttler in the last 16, was never in a position to confirm his superiority on his way to straight-sets defeat against an in-form opponent rated seven places below him in this tournament.

An early break allowed Henman to take the first set 6-2, and it was the same story second time round too.