Tim Henman reached the second round of the Rome Masters after defeating Alessio Di Mauro in straight sets.
Henman, the British number three, was pushed all the way by his Italian opponent but managed to save his best for the big points in each set of his 7-5 7-6 (7/2) win.
Di Mauro played his part in an entertaining clash at the clay courts at Foro Italico, even though spectators were thin on the ground at the start of play.
By the end of the match the stadium had filled up considerably to urge the home player towards victory, but it was British veteran who emerged victorious.
