Tennis: Service trouble thwarts Henman

TIM HENMAN'S attempt to win his first ATP final in America failed when he was beaten in straight-sets by Andre Agassi at the Mercedes Cup in Los Angeles. The British No 2, seeded second in the event, lost 6-4, 6- 4 to the former world No 1.

But, despite being beaten by the American, he remains 12th in the ATP rankings. The British No 2 went ahead of Slovakia's Karol Kucera, who slipped from 11 to 14, but at the same time was overtaken by Agassi, who climbed from 13 to 11.

Henman's problem in his first-ever meeting with Agassi was that he failed to establish his serve and volley game, but he was not too despondent in defeat. "To beat someone like Andre you've got to play at the top of your game, and I didn't do that," he said. "But I feel pleased with the way I'm playing, that's for sure. I lost today, but I think I'll take away a lot of positives."

Agassi, now ranked 13 in the world and fifth here, was winning his 11th straight match since his defeat in the second round at Wimbledon and it was his fourth tournament victory of the year.

Henman, competing for the first time since reaching the last four at Wimbledon, started nervously and had his serve broken in only the third game.

About to serve with the score at 30-all he was disturbed by a mobile phone in the crowd. Henman failed to regain his composure on that point and then handed the game over when crashing a simple-looking smash into the net.

"It's not the first time it has happened," Henman said of the irritating interruption. "It's not ideal, but it's going to happen wherever you play."

Agassi piled on the pressure with a series of punishing drives from the baseline, while Henman's serve continued to give cause for concern. He had to survive a break point in the seventh game and was taken to deuce in the ninth before Agassi clinched the opening set with a love game.

Henman had served five aces in that first set, but also surrendered four double-faults and continued to struggle in the second set. He lost the fifth game on his serve, broke back immediately and then had his spirit crushed when he lost his serve again in the seventh.

In both of his lost games Henman put his opponent in the driving seat with double-faults, but he believes that is the price he pays for being positive.

"When you go for your second serve, you're going to make some double- faults," he said. Agassi comfortably held his serve twice more to clinch a second successive tournament victory and the 38th title of an illustrious career which includes three Grand Slam wins - at Wimbledon and the US and Australian Opens.

Elsewhere in the rankings announced yesterday Greg Rusedski, inactive since Wimbledon because of his severe ankle injury, stays at No 6 in the world.

Henman, whose current ambition is to break into the top 10 for the first time, has been seeded seventh in the Du Maurier Open in Toronto this week but Rusedski will again be an absentee from the circuit. However, He is likely to play in the Cincinnati and New Haven tournaments which follow Toronto because he needs matchplay badly if he is to prepare properly for the US Open in which he reached the final last year.

Sam Smith, Britain's leading woman player, fell one place from 58 to 59 in the latest WTA world rankings despite reaching the semi-finals of the Salt Lake City Challenger last week.