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Tennis: Henman captures his first title in US

From the archive, first published Monday 4th Aug 2003.

Tim Henman dispatched fourth seed Fernando Gonzalez, of Chile, 6-3, 6-4 yesterday in the final of the £350,000 Legg Mason Classic in Washington to win his tenth career tournament and first in 18 months.

The tenth seed earned £46,000 for his first ATP title in the United States.

The British No 1, from Oxfordshire, was playing his first tournament since Wimbledon, where the weight of expectation from his countrymen has become almost unbearable.

But Henman was able to start his hardcourt campaign in relaxed and successful fashion. After upsetting second seed Andy Roddick in the semi-finals, he used his serve and volley game to subdue Gonzalez's powerful groundstrokes and capture his ninth hardcourt title.

"I lost a couple of other finals in the States," Henman said. "So I was keen to get a win on American soil. It's a special day for me."

The 29-year-old was playing in his first final since the 2002 Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells and undergoing shoulder surgery last November.

"I didn't arrive here until Sunday and it wasn't the ideal preparation, but it was just a question of getting acclimatised and getting used to these courts," he said.

The winner of three claycourt titles, Gonzalez was participating in his first career hardcourt final after defeating childhood idol Andre Agassi in the semi-finals.

Rain interrupted the second game of the match for 86 minutes and halted play for nine minutes while Henman was serving for the first set.

But the weather could not stop Henman from levelling his rivalry with Gonzalez at two wins apiece. The two meet again next week in the first round of the Tennis Masters in Montreal.

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