Henman rallies to avoid Draper's trap

Virginia Wade put the Wimbledon crowds through torture before winning the women's singles title in 1977, and Tim Henman seems to be reviving that tradition as he attempts to bring the men's singles title home for the first time for 66 years.

The 27-year-old from Oxfordshire remains on course, having avoided the traps set for many of the rich and famous here this week and negotiated his way past two qualifiers to reach the third round and a match against the unseeded but experienced South African Wayne Ferreira tomorrow.

While Tuesday's encounter with Jean-François Bachelot of France, the world No 125, provided Henman with a fairly gentle loosener, yesterday's second-round match against Scott Draper, a 28-year-old Australian left-hander, ranked No 230, was a severe test.

Draper won the Stella Artois title at Queen's Club in 1998, and the reason was clear from the start. Utilising the touch play that in his younger days prompted experienced observers to compare him with Rod Laver, the Queenslander tormented Henman and the crowd by winning the opening set. Thankfully, for the sake of the nation's sporting psyche, the British No 1 rallied to win, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

It was not as though Henman made a nervous start. He held to love in his first two service games, breaking Draper for 2-1 in between. What surprised and worried the crowd was how Henman's serve wavered at the first sign pressure.

Draper broke twice, first to draw level at 3-3, Henman hitting a return long, and then returning a second serve to lead 5-3, virtually guaranteeing the set. Henman netted a forehand attempting to return a second serve on the first set point, the set ending after 33 minutes.

Henman's serve was so consistent in the second set that Draper only managed to take three points off it. The tone was set in the second game, the relief in Henman's voice there for everyone to hear as he roared, "Come on! Come on!" Hewitt style, and leaped in the air after breaking for 2-0, converting an advantage point with a backhand return.

After holding for 3-0, Henman did not offer Draper the slightest encouragement during the remainder of the set, which was completed in 32 minutes.

The spectators relaxed as Henman made a smooth start in the third set, breaking for 2-1. The mood of optimism persisted as Henman created a break point for 5-2, which gave him the chance to clinch a two-sets-to-one lead without undue stress. But Draper salvaged the point, held for 4-3, and tension returned to the court.

There are certain games that become a match within a match, and that was the case as Henman served for the set at 5-4. The first two points were shared, Henman moving to 30-15 with a service winner. Draper forced his way between the will of the crowd and Henman's will to win with two splendid shots: a backhand lob for 30-30, and a forehand pass down the line off for 30-40.

Surely Henman was not about to let Draper back into the set after working so hard to pull his game together? A serve and volley saved that break point, but Draper was not discouraged. That was merely the prelude to a defiant stand by the Australian. He created two more break points and saved three set points, battling through six deuces and taking sustenance from the tension growing all around him.

The duel between Henman's serves and volleys, and Draper's returns and passing shots may have been fascinating for neutrals, but became almost unbearable for the Briton's supporters, particularly when Henman's first serve appeared to have a mind of its own.

Henman was down to a second delivery on the fourth set point when relief came. The serve was good, and it bought Henman time and space to drive Draper into hitting a lob over the baseline.

Henman then capitalised on a lethargic service game by Draper to break at the start of the fourth set. The Australian, while not fully recovering from the let-down, managed to keep the games tantalisingly close, although Henman's faith in his serve was stronger than at any time in the match.

Biding his time, Henman struck for home when leading 5-3, with Draper serving. The Australian, unable to withstand the assault of Henman's returns, slumped to 0-40. Henman hit a backhand long on the first match point, and Draper saved the second with a serve and forehand drive.

There was nothing the Australian could have done to save the third match point, Henman hitting a glorious backhand pass, and then turning to respond to the cheering.

"It was a tough match," Henman said. "I never felt totally comfortable with my game, and, with yesterday's happenings, it was good to get through. You take confidence from coming through difficult stages, like the 5-4 game in the third set, when I was really up against it. I'm still in. That's the important thing. Playing Ferreira will be stepping up a level."

The 30-year-old Ferreira is another former Stella champion. He defeated Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3.

Draper said he would back his close friend Lleyton Hewitt if they met in the semi-finals.

"Tim has the weight of the nation, which is not easy, and at some points I felt for him," he said. "I'll back Lleyton at this stage."