BASEL, 28 October 2004 — Britain’s No. 1 four Tim Henman won his opening match at the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament with little difficulty yesterday, beating Frenchman Antony Dupuis 6-3, 6-4.

Breaking Dupuis once in each set, Henman was in control throughout the match and apparently back to almost full strength following last week’s set-back at the Madrid Masters.

Diagnosed with a magnesium deficiency following his tired performance in the Spanish capital, Henman has now been put on a month’s course of magnesium tablets.

“This magnesium business has all been a bit strange, but I do feel better now,” Henman said after yesterday’s win. Henman knows that a good run in Basel may be necessary if he is still to qualify for next month’s Masters Cup in Houston. Chilean eighth seed Fernando Gonzalez also made an early exit from the tournament yesterday, losing to French qualifier Jerome Haehnel 6-3, 6-4.

Bjorkman Battles

Past Arthurs

In Stockholm, Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman ended the hopes of another veteran with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Wayne Arthurs in the first round of the 632,750-euro Stockholm Open yesterday.

The 32-year-old Bjorkman, who lifted the title at the Kungligahallen in 1997, showed flashes of his former power and poise as he fought back from a set down to claim victory over his 33-year-old Australian opponent.

Another noted old-timer, 34-year-old Andre Agassi, was due to start his first match in a decade in Stockholm playing Belgian Kristof Vliegen, who is 12 years his junior.

Bjorkman is now one of five Swedes who remain in contention from the eight who began the week.

In other first-round results, Dutchman Raemon Sluiter ousted Norwegian lucky loser Jan Frode Andersen 6-3, 6-4 while Swedish teenage qualifier Michael Ryderstedt put out Spain’s Oscar Hernandez 6-4, 6-4.

Belgian Olivier Rochus booked the first of the quarterfinal places thanks to a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Janko Tipsarevic.

Ailing Serena Loses to

Qualifier in Linz

In Vienna, ailing Serena Williams suffered her earliest tournament defeat since April 2000 when she was beaten 7-6, 6-2 by Russian qualifier Alina Jidkova in the second round of the Linz Open yesterday.

The former world No. 1 seemed fine in the first set, which she lost 7-5 in the tiebreak, before calling the trainer when 2-1 and a break down in the second.

Seeded three, the six-time grand slam winner complained of headaches and took tablets before deciding to soldier on. It is the first time in 4-1/2 years that Williams has lost her opening match of a WTA tournament.

The American received a bye in the first round when Jidkova beat compatriot and fellow qualifier Vera Douchevina 6-2, 6-1. Six players have already qualified for the championships and Justine Henin-Hardenne, ranked sixth, is out for the rest of the year. Serena’s elder sister Venus is ninth and Jennifer Capriati 10th, and all three are due to play in Philadelphia.

Another Russian, ninth seed Elena Bovina, saw off France’s Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-1 and will meet Jidkova in the quarterfinals of the $585,000 event. Seventh seed Patty Schnyder lost 6-2, 6-2 to Serbia and Montenegro’s Jelena Jankovic in their first round match. Jankovic won 10 baseline points to none in the first set as she dominated the Swiss player.