Tim Henman took three difficult sets to beat German Jens Knippschild 4-6 6-3 6-4 at the ABN/AMRO World Tennis Tournament title in Rotterdam this afternoon. Fresh from his Copenhagen Open win on Sunday, the British number one, looked a shadow of his recent self en route to losing the first set 4-6, before regaining his composure to take the final two sets for a hard fought 2-1 victory.
Knippschild, an unseeded qualifier, shocked Henman when he broke his serve in game nine, to go 5-4 ahead, but the Englishman showed his class to storm into a 3-0 lead in the second. It was an advantage he was determined to hold and despite a flurry of errors from the baseline, he took the set 6-3.
It gave Henman the edge in confidence going into the third set, and he broke in the third game and held to quickly establish a 3-1 lead. Although the German tied the set at 4-4, Henman held firm to take the final tow games and book his place in the second round.
With top seed Marat Safin already out, beaten yesterday by Belarussian Max Mirnyi, Henman is the highest seed remaining in the top half of the draw. He faces French qualifier Nicolas Escude for a place in the quarter-finals.
Filed by Shane Murray
