Serve and dolly game

The ball-girls they replaced, who dressed in less glamorous black shorts and shirts, have expressed annoyance and disappointment at the decision, which has been condemned as a politically incorrect publicity stunt. "We think its very, very bad because in a game of tennis the centre of attention should be the player," said one 14-year-old who did not want to be named. "It's sport, not a catwalk."

Only the players seem to have shrugged off the controversy.

"When you're on the court, you only look at the ball and your coach. As long as its the same ball, it doesn't matter [who throws it]," said Spain's Alex Corretja. "You're not going to get distracted, only if they don't know how to throw the ball. I don't care, the tournament can decide what they want. No one is speaking about this in the locker room."

Corretja, whose best showing of the season was the semi-finals at Washington two months ago, stands 86th in the world and has fought hard all season, playing challengers and accepting wild cards into tournaments. His refusal to get involved in the controversy may have something to do with the way he got into the Madrid event.

In another break with tradition, the tournament organisers allowed readers of a Madrid paper to vote for the player they wanted to receive a wild-card entry. That man was Corretja, the popular Catalan from Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Henman, who faces Spain's Albert Costa in the second round tonight, has rated this year his most enjoyable, despite failing to make the last four at Wimbledon and seeing Britain relegated from the Davis Cup World Group.

Henman, who reached the semi-finals at the French and US Opens in 2004 after linking up with with new coach Paul Annacone, said: "It's definitely been my best year. Going back to the first conversation I had with Paul, he said to me, 'I really think you can have some of your best success on clay.'

"He said one of the aspects is my athletic ability. I think there's an art to moving on clay and I think that's why a lot of players in this country struggle because they don't know how to move.

"And he said my style of game [was another aspect] because there aren't many players who play like me any more, coming into the net and using the volley as much.

"I know the out-and-out clay court players who like long rallies from the baseline hate playing me because there is no rhythm and there aren't any long rallies if I can avoid it. I took my game to clay."