Henman pulls out to avoid 'serious damage'

Tim Henman feared he might have done himself some "serious damage" if he had not retired hurt during his fourth-round Nasdaq-100 Open match with Roger Federer in Miami last night.

The British No 1, who sustained a neck injury before his third-round victory over Felix Mantilla, was forced to withdraw against the 20-year-old Swiss tennis player after losing the opening set 6-2.

Henman was disappointed yet relieved he had incurred no lasting damage.

"I didn't know whether I could have done some serious damage," he said. "When I went to bed after the Mantilla match it was just getting stiffer and stiffer and when I woke up it was getting uncomfortable.

"I wasn't sure I would play at all when I got to the courts. But then I hit some balls and I was a bit more optimistic.

"But when I got out there I didn't serve so hard because I knew that was going to be the big problem."

The opening five games went with serve as Federer tried to end his winless record in four previous encounters with Henman.

But Henman was broken in the sixth game after a couple of unforced errors and Federer launched some aggressive baseline strokes which Henman failed to head off at the net.