Henman too weak to stretch Roddick

He explained: "If can play well in the Davis Cup and finish the year off strongly, then without really having played a great deal - after coming back from the operation - I am sure I will be back inside the top 20.

"I will play a full schedule at the start of next year and I can be knocking on the door. That's the way I view it and I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be back up pretty high, pretty soon."

However, Henman's problems were encapsulated in the final game of a match that lasted two hours and six minutes. He needed to cause Roddick real problems to stay alive and proceeded to deliver a 100mph serve, followed by an 85mph effort and suddenly the American held two match points. He only needed one as Henman fired a forehand wide.

It was sweet revenge for Roddick following his loss to Henman at the Washington tournament last month, the only blemish on his otherwise pristine hard-court run in recent weeks, and highlighted the real difference between them. Roddick has numerous weapons, including a stunning serve plus enormous confidence, neither of which Henman offered.

Roddick has won 13 matches in a row and is short odds favourites to land the title on 7 September.

The momentum Henman had established by winning that Washington title was lost as he suffered second- and first-round losses in subsequent Masters Series events. He will slip even further down the world rankings and he could be as low as the 50s going into the final months of the season.

Only Wimbledon will take pity on Henman and make him a seed if he is outside the top 32 thanks to his marvellous record there.

Henman said: "Andy is the best server in the game right now and his results prove he is playing better than anyone. I had chances and needed to get something out of that second set. After that it was an uphill struggle."

While Henman was losing on the main show court, former French Open champion, Gustavo Kuerten, the 14th seed was being beaten in five sets by Russia's Dmitry Tursunov. Kuerten took a break in the final set and sat on his chair until security guards ejected a fan who had been heckling him.

In the women's first round, tenth seed Magdalena Maleeva and 16th seed Elena Bovina fell, but there were easy wins for second seed Justine Henin-Hardenne and sixth seed Jennifer Capriati.