Thursday, September 28 2006 13:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangkok: British veteran Tim Henman finally sees his luck change against Andy Murray on Wednesday (27 Sep, 2006) as he beats the teenager for the first time in four attempts, 6-4, 6-2, at the Thailand Open.

The unseeded 32-year-old Henman, now ranked 58th in the world, needed just over 80 minutes to take out the fourth seed in the first round.

Murray, at a career-high world number 16, first defeated Henman late last year in Basel and then produced back-to-back wins last month at ATP Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati.

"It was really hard to get ready to play here, I wasn't tired, but it is such a change from Davis Cup play," says Murray, who will remain safely in the top 20 despite the defeat.

"Playing Tim is always big, I knew it would not be easy at all. I just couldn't play my best after 18 hours of travel."

Henman says he is more pleased about earning victory, his 23rd of the season against 16 losses, than he is about finally besting his heir apparent as Britain's top player.

He also concedes that Murray's late arrival from Davis Cup play at the weekend in Ukraine certainly didn't help the 19-year-old Scot's cause.

"He's had a tough schedule," says Henman, who next faces another countryman Thursday (28 Sep, 2006) when he goes against Alex Bogdanovic in the second round.

"Andy's had a lot of matches and I'm sure he was tired."

Henman's success hinges on the marathon final game of the opening set, when he saves four break points, only to see three set points evaporate.

But the veteran's perseverance and experience pays off when he finally converts on set point with a crisp chip volley winner.

The loss of the first set takes the wind out of a demoralized Murray, with the Scot boiling over and receiving a warning for abuse in the first game of the second set as he loses serve.

Henman then displays some of his best tennis, reaching 4-0 on two breaks.

Murray wins a pair of games before surrendering, with Henman finishing him off on another dink volley winner that just drops over the net.

Finnish fifth seed Jarkko Nieminen, a two-time semi-finalist in Bangkok, fights through a troublesome opening set to finally subdue Argentina's Edgardo Massa, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-2.

The South American, ranked 247th, played well above his level, pushing the Finn to three sets.

Nieminen, winner of his first career trophy last January and ranked 17th just behind Murray, earns his place in the second round against Canada's Frank Dancevic.

France's Julien Benneteau notches a 6-4, 6-2 win over Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi, a late substitute from the qualifying rounds after second seed Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus is forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.

After crashing out in the first round in Beijing earlier this month, German Rainer Schuettler rebounds to beat South Korea's Hyung-taik Lee 6-1, 6-4.