Second round result:

T HENMAN GB V D FERRER (14) Spa

6-1 4-6 6-1

By Sam Lyon

Third set:

Henman 6-1 4-6 6-1 Ferrer
That's it! Ferrer's inability to keep it in court costs him at 40-30 and the Briton earns match point against serve with a fine volley. Another aggressive approach shot forces Ferrer to hit into the net and Henman is through to a possible third-round clash against Argentine David Nalbandian.

Henman 6-1 4-6 5-1 Ferrer
Apparently, Robbie Williams is one of Henman's favourite artists, but the 32-year-old need not take his hit "Let me entertain you" too much to heart. Refusing to make anything easy for himself, two tame forehands allow Ferrer to take a 30-15 lead and the Spaniard looks poised to break right back again. However, two fine serves earn Henman game point and, after flexing his knee and giving a little grimace, the Briton fires another first serve down which Ferrer can't return.

Henman 6-1 4-6 4-1 Ferrer
Or maybe there isn't. Flat cross-court forehands from Henman force Ferrer to miss twice, though the second comes via a net cord, much to the Spaniard's disgust. At 15-30, Ferrer goes for broke on a long forehand and it misses by a matter of inches. It's a poor miss and it costs him. Henman finds the net on the approach on his first break point, but Ferrer again misses wide of the court on the second and the Briton is two games away from the third round.

Henman 6-1 4-6 3-1 Ferrer
Henman is finding first serves again but it matters little because Ferrer will not be going down without a fight. The home favourite finds two excellent returns to force two break points and Henman then inexplicably hits the net on the volley after forcing a decent opening. There is life in this match yet.

Henman 6-1 4-6 3-0 Ferrer
A double break for Henman and it is fully deserved. Two decent backhands force Ferrer errors to make it 30-0 and another chip and charge earn Henman two break points. Ferrer hits the line to save one, but a brave approach to the net from the Briton forces an error and it is 3-0. Henman's aggression is back, but where was it in the second set?

Henman 6-1 4-6 2-0 Ferrer
And there it is! A grit of the teeth, a glance at coach Paul Annacone, and Henman gives it the "come on!" as he holds to love. His serve is firing again, just as it was on Monday, and Ferrer looks a little deflated as the Briton finds his range with his passing and volleying. A wild shot at 0-30 is indicative of the Spaniard's sudden loss of form and Henman is back in control.

Henman 6-1 4-6 1-0 Ferrer
It is now customary to struggle on serve in the opening game of the set and Ferrer duly obliges. Henman is reinvigorated and goes to 30-0, aided by two fine approaches. The Spaniard battles but sends another pass long at 30-40 to hand the Briton the early break.

Second set:

Henman 6-1 4-6 Ferrer
Ferrer is reputed to have one of the better temperaments on the circuit and he shows it immediately after dropping his service game by forcing two Henman errors. A fine serve-volley brings Henman level but, once again, he double faults to hand Ferrer set point. A slow hand clap from the crowd prompts the umpire to call for quiet - presumably anyway, it was in Spanish - but it doesn't help Henman as Ferrer wins the set through another error from the Briton.

Henman 6-1 4-5 Ferrer
Would you believe it? Seemingly cruising to the second set, Ferrer tightens up. A double fault is followed by a long forehand and then the Spaniard hits the net from deep in the court. Three break points - Henman only needs one. A long exchange is kept alive by a fine defensive lob from the Briton and Ferrer sends another pass long to keep the set alive.

Henman 6-1 3-5 Ferrer
Ferrer decides now is the time to re-grip his racket. Henman decides now is the time to enter into a little more banter with the umpire. They really are getting along famously. Perhaps buoyed by his flourishing relationship with Bernardes, Henman produces some delightful shots - the best of which comes from a sliced drop-shot from the back of the court executed to perfection. A fine pick-up volley helps him to hold to 30 and Ferrer must now serve for the set.

Henman 6-1 2-5 Ferrer
Henman looks to be aggressive on Ferrer's serve again, attempting the chip-charge on a couple of occasions, but - unlike in the first set - the home favourite has found his range and he is nullifying the Briton's threat. Ferrer holds to 15 and even Henman's attempts to retrieve the ball for the ball-girl goes awry. When you're cold, you're cold it would seem.

Henman 6-1 2-4 Ferrer
What we need here is a trademark punch and "come on" from Britain's number two. We don't get one. Henman, helped by an excellent pick-up volley, takes a 30-0 lead, but Ferrer is bullying points increasingly and he bludgeons the Briton into submission in two rallies to draw level. Another double fault - symbolic of the fact that Henman is off his game at the moment - takes it to deuce, before Ferrer wastes a gift at break point when he finds the net off an easy backhand pass. That helps Henman and two first serves ensure he stays alive in this set.

Henman 6-1 1-4 Ferrer
Ferrer is in confident mood at the moment. Henman is making mistakes, twice sending backhands wide under little pressure, and on the other points the Spaniard is finding the line from the back of the court. Although showing no ill effects in his movement, one wonders if Henman's leg niggle is playing on his mind as Ferrer holds to 15.

Henman 6-1 1-3 Ferrer
Just when he needed to though, Henman holds to love. The Briton fires down three first serves and forces a couple of Ferrer errors and the 32-year-old draws it back to 3-1.

Henman 6-1 0-3 Ferrer
On his personal website, Henman cites "cracking his knuckles" as his worst habit. Some might argue it's his tendency to make life difficult for himself when he is cruising in matches. He is still looking ok, as proved by a delightful lob volley at 30-15, but Ferrer has found his form at last and the crowd their voice as the number 14 seed consolidates the break to 30.

Henman 6-1 0-2 Ferrer
Maybe a scare for Henman? At the start of the game he appears to be feeling his right leg and a glance up to his coach Paul Annacone in the crowd suggest all is not well. A deep Ferrer forehand takes it to deuce and another at Henman's feet earns him break point. The Brit saves it but then hands him an immediate chance again with a double fault. Henman refuses to challenge on a first serve that looked good - maybe he really doesn't get the rule - and hits the second serve out to hand Ferrer the break.

Henman 6-1 0-1 Ferrer
So what can Ferrer do to stop Henman running away with it? Well he starts by getting his first serve in - a good start you feel. However, a superb passing shot from Henman brings cheers from the crowd who are warming to the Briton's control, and another chip and charge then Ferrer mistake puts the 24-year-old back under pressure. He digs deep though and holds to stop the rot.

First set:

Henman 6-1 Ferrer
Ferrer is frustrated. You can tell that because at the start of the game, he turns to his coach in the crowd and shouts "I'm trying but there's nothing I can do." Just call me Poirot. Anyway, that's clearly music to Henman's ears as the Briton seals the set to love with a combination of chip-charge, forehand winner and sliced backhand pass. Ferrer, obviously, can do nothing to prevent the first set slipping away.

Henman 5-1 Ferrer
There are no prizes for guessing Henman's tactics here. Ferrer sends a second serve down and Henman slices a backhand deep and advances to the net. It takes him to 30-15 up but, for some reason, he changes tact suddenly and Ferrer's deep forehand twice forces an error. Back to plan A then and Henman takes three consecutive points, twice with volleys at the net, and the Briton is well in control.

Henman 4-1 Ferrer
Any thought that the break would force Ferrer into his shell are ended as two cross-court forehands take it to 0-30. Still, Henman is on a role in recent weeks and after Ferrer sends another pass long, the Briton makes it 30-30 with a superb sliced backhand from wide of the court. Two more kick serves force Ferrer errors and Henman consolidates the break.

Henman 3-1 Ferrer
Ferrer's first serve is called out by umpire Carlos Bernardes, prompting Henman to take a time-out to establish the rules of the 'challenge' system. You'd think he'd know before he stepped on court wouldn't you? Still, he obviously liked what he heard as he takes the game against serve to love. The 'Tiger' advances to the net on every Ferrer serve and the Spaniard struggles to cope, earning the Briton an early break.

Henman 2-1 Ferrer
Against Verdasco on Monday, Henman's serve was at its best. Here, he can barely buy a first serve and, as a result, Ferrer is able to dominate points. Still, a second-serve ace takes him to 40-15 and, not for the first time, Ferrer sends a return long to keep the tie on serve.

Henman 1-1 Ferrer
Ferrer shows Henman how it's done as he beats down first serve after first serve. However, after reaching 40-0 he twice finds the net off Henman returns and the Briton then takes it to deuce courtesy of a net cord. All of a sudden Ferrer is relying on second serves, but two deep passing shots force Henman errors and the Spaniard holds a messy game.

Henman 1-0 Ferrer
An immediate warning for Henman, as he is forced to field three break points in the opening game. Two blistering forehand passes down the line take Ferrer to 40-30, but Henman staves off the break when the Spaniard hits a pass long off the Briton's second serve. After saving another at advantage, Henman finally finds a first serve on his third break point down and eventually sees the game out with two fine approach shots. A crucial hold one feels.

Pre-match (all times BST):

1620: Henman wins the toss and elects to serve.

1615: The two players walk onto court with Henman visibly determined to build on Monday's fine win over Fernando Verdasco.

The pair have never met at an ATP or Grand Slam event so there is something of the unknown between them. Ferrer, seeded 14th here, will be favourite but a partisan crowd at the Madrid Arena can expect Henman, who reached the final of the Japan Open last week, to provide a stern test for the home favourite.