Henman steel gains revenge over Blanco

Tim Henman is not the type to carry a black book containing the names of players who have made life difficult for him on a tennis court. He simply makes a mental note to even the score in a civilised manner.

Galo Blanco, of Spain, who defeated Henman, 6-2, 6-4, in the first round of the 1998 Monte Carlo Open, was duly dealt with in the opening round of the French Open here yesterday on a second day of rain delays and postponed matches. The British No 1, showing the resilience that has characterised his progress on slow clay surfaces this season, recovered a 4-1 deficit in the opening set to win six games in a row en route to a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 victory.

Henman, remembering some of his topsy-turvy wins in advancing to the semi-finals at Monte Carlo last month, joked: "I suppose you could say I had him where I wanted when I was two breaks down in the first set." Blanco also had a game point for 5-1, only for a Henman forehand to clip the net cord and arc over the Spaniard's racket. "There was a lot of luck involved in that shot," Henman acknowledged. "It was a turning point." Two points later, Henman broke, and his revival was under way. Blanco, the early aggressor, found Henman dictating the points, daring him to pass him.

Henman saved a break point to lead, 3-2, in the second set, at which juncture Blanco called for the trainer to tape his right foot. Steady drizzle earlier in the match became a downpour, and play was suspended for an hour and 38 minutes.

After the resumption, Henman broke for 4-2, Blanco double-faulting at 0-40. The British sixth seed then saved two break points before holding for 5-2 and securing a two-sets lead. The third set opened in drizzle. "I like to have an umbrella to shade under at change-overs when it's hot," Henman said, "but when you're sheltering from rain there's a few question marks going through your mind." Blanco saved three break points at 4-4, and went on to lead three times in the tie-break before Henman reasserted himself and won the shoot-out, 8-6, converting his second match point with a forehand volley.

Xavier Malisse is next in line for a come-uppance, having eliminated Henman in five sets in the third round at the United States Open last year, when the 21-year-old Belgian was coached by David Felgate, Henman's former mentor. Henman led, 3-0, in the fifth set, but was unable to press his advantage in a tricky wind.

Tomorrow Malisse will stand in Henman's path to a fourth consecutive appearance in the third round at Roland Garros, the furthest he has been here. Naturally the British media was keen to know if revenge comes into the equation. "Not really," Henman said. "It's not really the way you'd approach a match like that. I think I've got to learn some lessons from our last match, because I certainly didn't play my best."

Henman pointed out that his game "has come a long way" since that first meeting with Malisse. The Belgian, who now works with Todd Martin's coach, Dean Goldfine, has also shown that tennis remains high on his list of priorities. He has postponed his wedding to his fiancée, Ann, after discovering that the September date they set coincided with Belgium's Davis Cup tie in Zimbabwe.

Roger Federer, of Switzerland, the eighth seed, is turning his thoughts to the grass courts of Wimbledon after losing, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to the artistic Hicham Arazi, of Morocco. Federer was a quarter-finalist here last year.

Justine Henin, who lost to her Belgium compatriot Kim Clijsters in the women's singles semi-finals last year, attempted to compete while suffering from flu yesterday. The fifth seed was eliminated in the first round by Aniko Kapros, an 18-year-old qualifier from Hungary, 4-6, 6-1, 6-0. Clijsters, the fourth seed, struggled through against Tatiana Poutchek, of Belarus, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6.