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Last Updated: Friday, 9 January, 2004, 13:48 GMT
Gamewatch: Henman v Ljubicic
All the action as Tim Henman misses out on a place in the Qatar Open final following a 7-6 3-6 7-6 defeat to Ivan Ljubicic.

Final set

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 6-7 Ljubicic
Henman breaks immediately with a chip-charge, but Ljubicic breaks back by sending his opponent wide. In a tense finale, the Briton goes 3-2 clear against the serve with another chip-charge. That inspires the Croatian, who wins his next two serves following unforced errors from Henman and goes 6-5 with a breathtaking pass shot and an another Henman error on his own serve. Ljubicic seals the win with a service winner.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 6-6 Ljubicic
Henman loses his nerve, completing mis-hitting a return to go 0-30 down. Despite that, he repeatedly springs to the net and is rewarded with a decisive tie-break.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 5-6 Ljubicic
Two stunning drop shots put Henman within a whisker of a break, but Ljubicic recovers with a barrage of strong serves to take a vital lead.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 5-5 Ljubicic
An ace gets Henman off to the ideal start as he serves to stay in the match. From there he never looks back.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 4-5 Ljubicic
Henman reacts angrily when the umpire over-rules a ball that was originally called out. The decision spurs the British number one to lift his game and he picks up two break points with a potent forehand down the line. But both chances go begging.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 4-4 Ljubicic
Two unforced errors by Ljubicic allows some good chances to go begging. Henman makes him pay and seals the game with an ace.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 3-4 Ljubicic
The scores go to 15-30 to Henman's advantage as he whips the ball cross-court and past Ljubicic. But the Briton fails to earn himself a break point opportunity and Ljubicic rounds off the game with a smash.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 3-3 Ljubicic
Henman gets his Croatian rival on the back foot almost immediately with a stunning forehand down the line, with Ljubicic stranded in no man's land. But he bounces back to take the scores to 30-30 before Henman confidently closes out the game.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 2-3 Ljubicic
Neither player looks likely to break the other's serve as Ljubicic sends his opponent to all corners of the court in another one-sided game.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 2-2 Ljubicic
Henman confidently serves and volleys to open the game and from there never looks back for what proves a very simple levelling of the scores. It proves another service game to love. The British number one has now scored 13 unanswered points on his serve.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 1-2 Ljubicic
Ljubicic drops just one point - courtesy of a double fault - before moving into a 2-1 lead in the final set.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 1-1 Ljubicic
The players return to court after a brief rain delay and Henman immediately wraps up his service game.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 0-1 Ljubicic
There are some more drops of rain and the players again have to leave the court, with Henman midway through his service game.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 0-1 Ljubicic
The third set starts ominously for Henman with a mishit followed by a Ljubicic ace. Henman has his chances but seems flustered by the wind which is getting up again.


Second set

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 0-0 Ljubicic
Just as he did when serving for the first set, Henman stutters through the game and goes 0-40 down. But the 29-year-old digs in and saves all three, and clinches the set with his first opportunity.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 5-3 Ljubicic
Ljubicic is going to make Henman serve out for the set, coming up with two aces as he coasts through the game.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 5-2 Ljubicic
Once again, no problems for Henman as he moves to within a game of the second set.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 4-2 Ljubicic
Serve is dominating at the moment as Ljubicic holds comfortably.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 4-1 Ljubicic
Henman's serve is operating very smoothly now and he enjoys a second consecutive love service game.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 3-1 Ljubicic
Ljubicic rouses himself and stops the second-set rot, his fourth ace of the match (and first of the set) helping him to an easy hold.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 3-0 Ljubicic
Henman enjoys his first love game of the match to press home his early breakthrough in the set.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 2-0 Ljubicic
After a 10-minute rain delay, the players return to the court and it is Henman who is quickest out of the blocks, immediately breaking his opponent.

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 1-0 Ljubicic
After the excitement of the tiebreak, the atmosphere in the arena has flattened but Henman holds to 15.


First set

Henman 6-7 (2/7) 0-0 Ljubicic
Ljubicic earns a mini-break on Henman's first serve of the tiebreak but Henman cancels it out with backhand crosscourt winner. The Croat edges ahead again and the players change ends with Ljubicic 4-2 up. A cracking forehand return of serve from outside the court leaves Ljubicic with two serves for the first set - he wins both.

Henman 6-6 Ljubicic
Having secured the break, Henman immediately finds himself 15-40 down. He saves the first with a curling backhand down the line but then slaps a high backhand volley into the net and now he will have to play a tiebreak.

Henman 6-5 Ljubicic
At 30-30, Henman attacks Ljubicic's second serve and a forehand volley at full stretch gives him the first break point of the match. The Croat saves it with a massive first serve and then saves another when Henman dumps an attempted backhand pass into the net. But Ljubicic cannot close out the game and the Briton finally clinches the break with a punched forehand volley.

Henman 5-5 Ljubicic
Henman berates himself for a sluggish shot at 40-0. It seems to do the trick as he rescues the next point with a down-the-line winner off a Ljubicic smash.

Henman 4-5 Ljubicic
Ljubicic comes up with his second ace and secures the game by whipping a forehand winner crosscourt.

Henman 4-4 Ljubicic
Another straightforward hold for Henman - as the business end of the set approaches, there has still been barely a glimmer of a breaking chance for either player.

Henman 3-4 Ljubicic
Ljubicic brings his full height of 6ft 4 inches to the fore as he produces some big serves to edge ahead in the set.

Henman 3-3 Ljubicic
Henman does not allow his error in judgement in the previous game affect his concentration and cruises through his service game.

Henman 2-3 Ljubicic
Henman's aggressive tactics appear to be paying off and he has Ljubicic on the back foot. However, at 30-30, Henman once again attacks the net but elects not to play Ljubicic's next shot, only to see it drop well in.

Henman 2-2 Ljubicic
Henman double-faults and the game goes to deuce. But then the British number one produces a brilliant backhand dropshot from off his toes to repel any danger.

Henman 1-2 Ljubicic
Henman has a couple of chances to put pressure on his opponent but Ljubicic ultimately holds comfortably.

Henman 1-1 Ljubicic
A good start for Henman who clinches his first service game with an ace.

Henman 0-1 Ljubicic
Ljubicic begins with an ace and although Henman makes a couple of useful-looking chip-and-charges, the Croat holds serve.




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