Henman gains first home tour win

Tim Henman brushed aside Dominik Hrbaty in Brighton on Sunday to finally wrap up his first tournament win on home soil.  

Henman broke the Slovak's serve in the first game of the Samsung Open final and took just 84 minutes to win the sixth ATP Tour title of his career and his second in less than a month after victory in Vienna.

Top seed Henman said: "It was a very satisfying way to end the year. My performance was as good as it has been in a long, long time."

Before Brighton Henman had failed to notch a single win in three tour events on British soil this year. He had been dumped out at the first stage in Nottingham, Docklands and Queen's.

But it did not take long for him to set the record straight as he broke Hrbaty in the first game of the match and again in the fifth to notch the first set.

Hrbaty, 22, ranked only eight places lower than Henman at 18 in this year's Champions Race standings, had been expected to pose problems on a soft surface which was more suited his clay-court game.

But Henman was almost flawless as he broke Hrbaty in the second game of the second set when the Slovak served a double fault. And when the Slovak needed lengthy treatment for a back strain having gone a double break down, the end was in sight.

Hrbaty was given a back massage by his trainer within the allotted three minute injury time-out and for a time it seemed a tournament cursed by withdrawals, poor crowds and racket smashing would also suffer from a premature final result.

But Hrbaty, who has had problems with the injury since the American hard-court season played on helped by heavy strapping and said: "Tim was playing unbelievably well. I think he was pumped to win his first tournament in England. I was fighting but Tim didn't give me a chance."

Henman, whose victory was his sixth career title to go with wins in Tashkent (twice), Basle, Sydney and Vienna, failed to take advantage of two match points on the former French Open semi-finalist's serve at 5-1 in the second set, but he smashed down an ace in the following game to round off a polished performance in style.

Henman, who picked up £39,000 and a camcorder for his win, added: "I knew I had to play to the best of my capabilities if I was going to win and that's exactly what I did.

"I was very keen to finish this year on a high note as I felt I was making progress and I wanted to start next year on a winning streak. I've always believed that the hard work would pay off. I had to be patient but now I'm reaping the rewards."

The British number one will enjoy a short Christmas before jetting off Down Under on Boxing Day to begin preparations for the Australian Open, which start with a New Year tournament in Adelaide.

He will do so with renewed confidence after banishing the twin burdens of a run of seven consecutive final defeats and an inability to win matches in front of his home crowd.

"I need to win these smaller events and winning on home soil helps with regard to Wimbledon," Henman added.

"I'd be the first to admit I've under-achieved outside Wimbledon and the Davis Cup. It hasn't been particularly successful and I've only got myself to blame.

"Now I'm beginning to find an overall consistency and it gives you such a good feeling going into the off-season and then to Australia."

The attentions of Hrbaty turned immediately to whether his injury would prevent him from competing in the scheduled ice hockey match between the Czech and Slovak players in Bratislava next week.

"If not I will still sit on the bench," Hrbaty grinned. "The most important thing is the party afterwards."