Tim Henman kept his cool in baking Queen’s Club conditions to overcome his nemesis Dmitry Tursunov 6-3, 7-6 and book his place in the Stella Artois Championships semi-finals.
Henman edged a topsy-turvy encounter which produced a remarkable 12 breaks of serve in 21 games, and survived a set point in the second set before breezing through the tie-break 7-1.
It was no powerful serve-and-volley exhibition by any means but Henman will hardly mind after gaining his first win over the Russian at the fourth attempt.
And his win sent him through to his first ATP Tour semi-final in four months, and his first at Queen’s since he was beaten in the last four in 2003 by Sebastien Grosjean.
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Yet to lose a set in this tournament, Henman made a blazing start and broke the powerful-hitting Tursunov twice to take a 3-0 lead but squandered it to bring the Russian back level.
Henman’s third break of the Tursunov serve proved the crucial one as he went on to hold his own serve and take the first set in front of the packed grandstands.
The second set continued in much the same vein, with Henman twice losing a break advantage to let Tursunov back into the game, then being broken again to allow his opponent to serve for the set.
But having moved to the brink of levelling matters, Tursunov double-faulted on his big chance and Henman seized his reprieve, forcing the tie-break which he charged through to make the last four.
Henman will now face Lleyton Hewitt after the American’s match against Rafael Nadal came to an end at one set at all when Nadal was forced to retire due to injury.
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The world number two had received treatment on a left arm injury midway through the second set, and was finally forced to admit a defeat which brought his 26-match unbeaten record to an end.
The Spaniard had shocked three-times champion Hewitt by breaking him in the fourth game of the first set and serving out in style to take the set 6-3.
But Hewitt, who had also come from behind in his two previous matches in this tournament, stepped up a gear to take the second set also 6-3 and book his semi-final meeting with Henman.
Henman was beaten by Hewitt in his last two Queen’s final appearances in 2001 and 2002.