Sport 07-09-2004 Tough Break For Henman`s Opponent who: Tim Henman what: Reaches last eight of US Open as Nicolas Kiefer concedes defeat where: NEW YORK when: Yesterday snippet: "Tim Henman was a delighted birthday boy yesterday after making the US Open quarter-finals for the first time," says The Sun. "The British No 1 beat Nicolas Kiefer 6-7 6-3 6-1 6-7 3-0 at Flushing Meadows when the German, 27, retired with a wrist injury." "It`s a strange way to win a match after I`d been fighting so hard," says Henman, quoted by the BBC. "Kiefer told me he felt something pop in his wrist and it was a tough break for him." "Henman, who had doubted whether he would be fit to start the tournament, has now been on court for 13 hours and 31 minutes," calculates The Independent`s John Roberts, "and has played 18 sets and three games. He now meets the 22nd seed Dominik Hrbaty, of Slovakia, for a place in the semi-finals." Far from South London, Henman will hope to ride his luck. And maybe it`s the refreshing difference between New York and Wimbledon that has worked the charm, ponders The Telegraph. "The Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadow is as alien to the Pimm`s-on-the-lawn ambience of the All England Club as it is possible to get," writes Martin Johnson. "The concrete stands reach so high up that top-tier spectators are not so much gasping at the tennis as gasping for oxygen, and the rock music during changeovers is archetypal America." But to win their attention, Henman will have to reckon with Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Roger Federer, remarks The Mirror`s Jim O`Brien, who "is looking to become the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win a hat-trick of Grand Slam titles in the same year". [... more]

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