Tennis: Henman Faces Tough Challenge

Tim Henman, who reached the semi-finals of last year's US Open, where he was beaten by Switzerland's Roger Federer, the eventual champion, was given the opportunity for revenge at the same stage when the draw was made in New York yesterday. But given his recent form, and the severity of the draw, Henman may not survive the first week, let alone reach the last four.

Even his opening match against Spain's Fernando Verdasco cannot be taken for granted, given Henman's chronic lack of success since losing in the second round at Wimbledon, and he suffered a stomach injury recently which may further complicate his efforts to turn the tide.

Henman, who could lose his British No1 status to Greg Rusedski during the US Open, has been at pains to convince all those who asked him that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with his game, and that he has been hitting the ball well in practice. But as he approaches his 31st birthday on September 6, the signs are not encouraging.

Last year, when he reached the semi-finals of the French and US Opens for the first time, Henman had good cause to stress what he has always believed, namely that his best tennis would be played in the later stages of his career. However, his back problem worsened towards the end of last year, and in the three grand slam event this year he has managed only four victories.

Providing he defeats Verdasco, Henman could then meet the in-form Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu followed by Mario Ancic of Croatia, who defeated him two years ago in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. Should Henman survive the opening three matches, he then faces the possibility of meeting Marat Safin, the Australian Open champion, in the fourth round and Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, whom Henman has never beaten, in the quarters.

Rusedski, who decided to pull out of the tournament in Long Island this week because he was feeling run-down and weary, has a potentially tough opening match against James Blake of the United States, and his possible third-round opponent could be the French Open champion Rafael Nadal.

Rusedski, who shares the same birthday as Henman next month, but who will then be 32, avoids one of the big names in the first two rounds. However life gets no easier. The 19-year-old Nadal has recently won the Tennis Masters Series in Montreal and is anxious to make his mark in New York, where he is seeded to meet Andre Agassi in the last eight.

The Willams sisters, Serena and Venus, have won two of the three slams between them this year, but doubts remain over Serena's fitness. With the draw opening up the awkward possibility of them meeting as early as the fourth round, it may be that Serena will not make the starting post. The new world No1 and top seed Maria Sharapova faces a challenging first-round match against Greece's Eleni Daniilidou.