Henman falls at first in Rome - Sport - Evening Standard
       

Henman falls at first in Rome

Tim Henman made a swift exit at the Rome Masters with a first-round 7-5 6-1 defeat to Spain's Nicolas Almagro.

The British number two, a late entrant following David Nalbandian's withdrawal on Saturday, had no answer to the clay specialist who booked a second-round meeting with world number one Roger Federer.

Scroll down for more

Frustrated: Tim Henman is out of the Rome Masters in the first round

Henman, first on the Stadio Pietrangeli court at the Masters Series event, started brightly against the world number 39, but was eventually ground down by his 21-year-old opponent.

Henman, whose only ranking victory so far this year came against Nicolas Mahut in Las Vegas in February, was forced to serve to stay in the set 6-5 down after breaks of serve in the opening two games.

Victorious: Nicolas Almagro goes through to face Roger Federer

But the Spaniard upped a gear, taking the set on his second break point with a superb backhand shot down the line.

Almagro, who has already triumphed on clay in Valencia this season, quickly found his rhythm in the second set, breaking Henman's serve twice before closing out victory with an ace.

Comments

Don't Miss
The Glamour Awards - stars turn on the style

Glamour Awards

Stars turn on the style
Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink at her first Buckingham Palace garden party

Garden party

Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink
FIRST review of Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster Prometheus

First review

Is Ridley Scott's Prometheus any good?
Fair-weather goths

Fair-weather goths

The sultry shades of summer darks are coming out of the shadows
London gets ready for the Diamond Jubilee - in pictures

Diamond Jubilee

London gets ready - in pictures
Dog save the Queen: Corgis surge in popularity

Dog save the Queen

Corgis surge in popularity
'He’s a better ex than he was a husband', says Boris Johnson's ex wife

A better ex than husband

We talk to Boris Johnson's ex wife
TV Baftas - in pictures

Best of the Baftas

Stars on the red, white and blue carpet
You big softie: Has Giles Coren put down his poison pen?

You big softie

Has Giles Coren put down his poison pen?
Pop star Paloma Faith, former Labour minister and Tory blogger back gay marriage video

Gay marriage

Pop star, former Labour minister and Tory blogger back gay marriage video