It was billed as the battle of Britain but Tim Henman's 6-4 7-6 win over Greg Rusedski in the Australian Hardcourt Championship here yesterday turned out to be more like a playground scuffle, with Henman playing the school bully.
Despite their at times ill-tempered rivalry, Henman is a league above his Davis Cup team-mate at the moment. Two titles late last year, including his first on home soil in Brighton in November, have given Britain's number one a veneer of confidence which Rusedski never looked like cracking. Henman was only too happy to take advantage of Rusedski's uncertainty, picking up the new year where he left the old by playing solid, efficient tennis with far fewer inexplicable lapses of concentration than before.
In the past he has been a slow starter in smaller tournaments and been ambushed in the first round. There was no danger of that here. He was in determined mood, breaking serve straight away. The second set, however, was close enough to raise the odd murmur from the snoozing crowd. Rusedski's first serve, absent throughout the first set, arrived unannounced in the second and allowed him to stay with Henman long enough to force a tie-break.
Then, as suddenly as it had arrived, the once-trusty serve vanished and three double faults presented Henman with the set and the match.
First round (Seeds in brackets): (2) T Henman (Brit) bt G Rusedski (Brit) 6-2 7-6 (7-4); (3) A Clement (Fra) bt A Gaudenzi (Ita) 6-7 (1-7) 6-0 6-3; (7) T Johansson (Swe) bt F Mantilla (Spa) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; B Phau (Ger) bt T Woodbridge (Aus) 7-5 6-1; J Tarango (USA) bt M Kohlmann (Ger) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); J Stoltenberg (Aus) bt (4) S Grosjean (Fra) 6-3 6-2; (1) L Hewitt (Aus bt W Arthurs (Aus) 6-4 6-3; P Goldstein (USA) bt A Jones (AUS) 6-4 6-2; X Malisse (Bel) bt C Woodruff (USA) 2-6 6-3 6-2.
The Slovak Republic recovered from a shaky start to defeat Belgium 2-1 in a crucial tie at the Hopman Cup tournament in Perth, Australia.
In a decisive mixed doubles duel after the singles match-ups had been shared, Dominik Hrbaty and Karina Habsudova beat Olivier Rochus and Kim Clijsters in three sets, 6-4 3-6 6-3.
The Slovak victory was a lifesaver for them - defeat would have made it impossible for them to qualify for Saturday's final in the eight-nation round-robin contest.
Despite their loss, Belgium also remain in contention for the major prize showdown, because they scored a shock 2-1 win over Russians Marat Safin and Elena Likhovtseva in their opening clash on Monday.
In yesterday's five-hour thriller, Hrbaty revived the hopes of the Slovak Republic when he defeated Rochus in the men's singles after Habsudova had gone down to Clijsters in the women's singles.
Hrbaty, ranked 17th in the world, beat his 67th ranked opponent 6-3 6-0 to level the tie at 1-1.
Clijsters (17), staged a remarkable fightback to defeat Habsudova in three sets in the women's singles. After being crushed 0-6 in the opening set, Clijsters won the next two, 6-4 61, to give her country an important lead.
The Slovaks meet Russia tomorrow in their last qualifying match, while Belgium clash with Monica Seles and Jan-Michael Gambill of the US.
Results: Group A - South Africa bt Australia 2-1. Men's singles: W Ferreira (Rsa) lost to R Fromberg (Aus) 6-7 (4-7) 5-7; Women's singles: A Coetzer (Rsa) bt N Pratt (Aus) 6-3, 7-5; Mixed doubles: Ferreira and Coetzer (Rsa) bt Fromberg and Pratt (Aus) 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 7-6 (7-1). Group B - Slovakia beat Belgium 2-1 K Habsudova lost to K Clijsters 6-0 4-6 1-6, D Hrbaty bt O Rochus 6-3 60, Hrbaty and Habsudova bt Rochus and Clijsters 6-4 3-6 6-3).
Top-seeded Spaniard Conchita Martinez booked a quarter-final berth with a hard-fought 6-4 6-4 win over Italian Guilia Casoni at the Australian Women's Hardcourt Championship at the Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast.
Defending champion and number three seed Silvija Talaja of Croatia set up a second round match with Spaniard Angeles Montolio with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over Swede Asa Carlsson.
First Round (seeds in brackets): A Montolio (Spa) bt Rita Kuti-Kis (Hun) 6-2 6-1; (5) M Serna (Spa) bt A Jidkova (Rus) 6-4 6-2; (3) S Talaja (Cro) bt A Carlsson (Swe) 4-6 6-3 6-4; Second round: (6) M Shaughnessy (USA) bt S Cacic (USA) 6-4 6-2; J Kruger (Rsa) bt C Wheeler (Aus) 6-2 2-6 6-4; (8) J Henin (Bel) bt V Razzano (Fra) 6-4 6-0; (1) C Martinez (Spa) bt Giulia Casoni (Ita) 6-4 6-4; A Glass (Ger) bt J Kandarr (Ger) 6-1 6-2.
