Henman bows out in style

Tim Henman brought a fitting end to his competitive career at the All England

Club today by steering Great Britain back into the Davis Cup World Group for the

first time in four years.

Henman teamed up with Jamie Murray to win the doubles rubber 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3)

7-5 over Croatia's Marin Cilic and Lovro Zovko and secure his nation an

unassailable 3-0 lead with two rubbers remaining.

The capacity Court One crowd rose to acclaim Henman after his whipped

cross-court forehand converted Great Britain's first match point and sealed a

thoroughly convincing two-day victory.

Henman showed the composure which has sustained him through the best part of 13

Wimbledon summers, celebrating with fist-pumps to the sky as the fans chanted

his name.

Henman, who had never previously played competitively with the elder Murray,

had been given the chance to go out on another high after bringing his singles

career to a close with a straight-sets win over Roko Karanusic yesterday.

But even though the occasion dictated a routine victory for the British pair,

Cilic and Zovko were determined the spoil the send-off and stretch this World

Group play-off into a final day.

Rising star Cilic, who had pushed Andy Murray to five sets on Friday, delivered

an inch-perfect lob to break Jamie Murray at the crucial point of the first set

and give Croatia a shock advantage.

Murray, who had made his Davis Cup debut against Holland in April, after which,

ironically, Greg Rusedski also retired, seemed nervous and it was clear the

33-year-old Henman's experience was keeping them in the tie.

Murray had to wriggle out of two further break points at 1-2 down in the second

set, another audacious Cilic lob this time sailing inches long and allowing the

Scot to breathe again.

It took an hour for Great Britain to fashion their first break point on the

Croatian serve and they took full advantage with Henman depositing a backhand

volley at the net to take a 4-3 advantage, and subsequently serve out to level

the tie.

Showing every sign of developing into a top-level player for the future, Cilic

in particular maintained his consistency and gave Croatia the breakthrough in

the third set by breaking Murray again for a 4-2 lead.

The gutsy British pair immediately responded by breaking back to love and the

set drifted into a tie-break, in which they made a sound start and wrapped up

with big Murray serve to move one set from victory.

Again Croatia, with doubles specialist Zovko finding his range on his serve

again, refused to be give up and had their chances in the fourth set, not least

a rare break point on the Henman serve at 2-2.

They failed to convert either of two further opportunities on the Murray serve

two games later but the British pair spurned two chances of their own in the

following game, which would have enabled Henman to serve out for the match.

But when Cilic served to keep Croatia in the tie at 5-6, Henman and Murray

would not be denied. With his last act as a professional tennis player, Henman

swung a forehand cross-court and sent Great Britain back into the World Group.

Henman admitted he could not have scripted his farewell any better.

"I've had a few good scripts over the past few years but it's just

fantastic," he said on BBC1.

"For me to finish with Britain back in the World Group is perfect."

Henman hailed the raucous Court One crowd, saying: "They've been phenomenal.

Today was an incredible atmosphere.

"It's this type of occasion I'm going to miss in the future and I'm going to

miss each and every one of you that supported me throughout my career.

"It's been an unbelievable journey for me. I've fulfilled so many of my

dreams."

Murray was relieved to have played his part in giving Henman the perfect

send-off.

He said "They (Croatia) played well and both served big.

"We stuck with it and we got through so World Group, here we come."

Murray hailed Henman as an "inspiration", saying: "It was an absolute honour

to be on the court with him and I'm sad to see him go.

"For me, Andy and Jamie Baker, growing up, he was our role model and

inspiration."

Coach John Lloyd said: "To get to 3-0 after two days is great. The boys played

magnificently.

"You couldn't have scripted it any better."

He added of Henman: "He's been the best British player since Fred Perry.

"He hasn't been given the credit he actually deserves."