Humour sees Henman through

Good sports: Tim Henman with Todd Martin

13 April 2012

Very rarely do you witness a contest that restores your faith in sportsmanship, but Tim Henman's impressive 7-6, 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 French Open second round win over Todd Martin should become compulsory watching for every aspiring international player.

It was a match of wildly fluctuating fortunes between two seasoned professionals, who are also great friends. This common bond allowed the players to overcome a series of dubious line calls which Australian umpire John Blom took it upon himself to make. Some looked well wide and others were unbelievably close, but to those on court and watching from the open stands, there were all the ingredients for an explosive situation.

Instead of foul language - which earned Lleyton Hewitt a warning yesterday in his win - Henman, the 25th seed, and Martin somehow managed to find humour. The umpire was the butt of their jokes which reached a nadir when Henman queried a call, asked the umpire to look at the mark and then rubbed it out as he arrived.

The crowd doubled over with delight while Martin raised his arms in triumph at what you could imagine had been a wheeze they dreamt up having secretly met behind the umpire's chair at the last change of ends.

Even when they resorted to verbals with the umpire, both players kept their cool with Martin getting nearest to boiling over with the assertion that one call had been "ridiculous - but I appreciated the set point call!"

The set point call in question had been the worst with the umpire calling the ball good when he chose the wrong mark. Henman was incredulous and despite standing over the real mark, refused to lose it although he was seething as Martin won the second set.

Henman, who now meets second seed Juan Carlos Ferrero tomorrow, could play on the Roland Garros centre court for the first time and said: "I think it's a match worthy of that honour.

"There were a couple of dubious calls out there and on a clay court it just shouldn't happen because you can see the marks. I had to put that aside, even when Todd and I saw the ball out and the umpire called it in!

"I believe I can do well against Ferrero because my game is different and I certainly won't be standing on the base line hitting backhands to him."

Former Australian and US Open finalist Martin said: "One of the best things the French Federation has done is to create Court Three which is great for atmosphere.

"There is some consolation in losing to a friend in a well-spirited match but there isn't any true consolation in losing. Tim certainly seemed confident, he served better than he usually does and moved tremendously. Sure he can beat Ferrero by taking Juan Carlos away from his game."

The end result was Henman's fourth visit to the third round of his least favourite Grand Slam and his sixth win since returning from shoulder surgery. He now faces Ferrero, who will be a formidable hurdle for Henman, who won their only previous meeting, on carpet, in Bercy in 1999.

Henman goes into the match hugely impressed by his own quality of tennis "probably the best I have played back to back for some time" and knows the fitness work he has undertaken makes him a real problem for the Spaniard.

"The match lasted nearly three and half hours and that gives me a lot of satisfaction," he added.

"What's happened in the last nine months means that what I have achieved here gives me a lot of confidence and bodes well for the coming weeks on grass.

"I served well and mixed up my ground strokes which is how I have to play on clay. It was a great match because of the quality of tennis we both produced out there."

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