Tennis: Tim Henman Goes Out of Artois Championship With Defeat to Croatian Wildcard Marin Cilic

Tim Henman's fragile confidence took another pummelling when he was dumped out of the Artois Championship in the first round with a humiliating 6-7, 6-2, 4-6 defeat to wildcard Marin Cilic.

Henman, the British No2, appeared to have the game in his control after making a poor start but he crumbled to allow the callow Cilic, 14 years his junior, back into the game. A crucial Hawk-Eye challenge was the key moment, with the technology finding in favour of the 18-year-old Croatian when he queried a call.

That broke Henman, whose game then withered and collapsed. His lack of confidence was clear with his composure deserting him at crucial moments, and today's Queen's Club exit is his sixth first-round defeat in seven tournaments this season.

A terrible start, in which he conceded an early break point, hinted at the problems to come. But the 32-year-old settled and broke through in the fourth, making inroads into Cilic's serve and taking the game when the Croatian hit long. He then had to save three break points and the target proved too great with Cilic firing a cross court forehand to take the game in emphatic style. The 6ft 5in former world junior No1 used all his height to unleash a fearsome smash and claim three opportunities to take Henman's serve, needing only the second when a routine shot hit the net.

Yet Henman broke back, taking the set into a tie-break which was settled in Cilic's favour with a double fault on service. Henman won the opening three games of the second set as Cilic's serve became erratic, but the towering Cilic still produced the odd telling shot. He conceded the next game before saving three break points in the fifth. Henman was still in control, winning easily on his next service only to then make heavy weather of taking the set, wasting three key points.

He was clearly anxious as he drew two failed Hawk-Eye decisions before triumphing 6-2 with one forehand drive on the turn catching the eye. Cilic was broken in the opening game of the third set but his confidence and his play surged back. By the eighth he was on equal terms, securing two break points and appeared to have squandered the first of them when he hit long.

But he used one of his three challenges for Hawk-Eye and benefited spectacularly when the big screen erected on centre court showed his shot had landed inside the baseline. Cilic easily won the next game and Henman was now serving to stay in the match.

Once again his composure evaporated as he hit two shots into the net and a third wide to give Cilic two match points. Henman produced an ace for the first but then to his dismay smashed the second long to hand Cilic a prized victory.