TIM HENMAN TOPPLES JAMES BLAKE IN OPENING DAY THRILLER; JAMIE MURRAY RECEIVES HERO’S WELCOME AT THE TENNIS AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL IN LONDON, GREAT TENNIS ALL WEEK, BUY TICKETS HERE

Written by: Staff on 2nd December 2015

TIM HENMAN TOPPLES JAMES BLAKE IN OPENING DAY THRILLER; JAMIE MURRAY RECEIVES HERO'S WELCOME AT THE TENNIS AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL IN LONDON, GREAT TENNIS ALL WEEK, BUY TICKETS HERE |

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HENMAN TOPPLES BLAKE IN OPENING DAY THRILLER; JAMIE MURRAY RECEIVES HERO’S WELCOME

Former British No. 1 Tim Henman overcame James Blake 4-6, 6-2, 12-10 to kick off Champions Tennis 2015 in style at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday.

The meeting between the two former World Number Fours was their second – the first came more than 13 years ago in Toronto. Henman won that one, and the rematch was a thriller.

Blake took the the opening set with a single break. Henman, 41, struck back with some delectable volleys to force a Champions Tie-break. The Briton saved three match points before surging back to win 12-10, including a penultimate point that rolled back the years.

WATCH – The final two points of the match: https://goo.gl/0fZUkW

Henman now sits top of Group A, while defending champion Fernando Gonzalez leads Group B. He defeated Belgian Xavier Malisse 7-6, 6-4 earlier in the day.

Another highlight of Wednesday’s play was the appearance of British Davis Cup hero Jamie Murray. Playing in the doubles, he brought his Davis Cup winners’ trophy onto the court and received a standing ovation.

On Thursday, Gonzalez faces Sebastien Grosjean in the afternoon, and then John McEnroe makes his return in the evening against fellow seven-time Grand Slam champion. Mansour Bahrami will also return, along with the 1987 Wimbledon Champion, Pat Cash.

Thursday 3rd December, 2015

At 1:30pm

Grosjean v Gonzalez

Cash/Larsson v El Aynaoui/Leconte

At 7.30pm

McEnroe v Wilander

Bahrami/Malisse v Henman/Pernfors

On Saturday 5th December, Tie Break Tens will launch. A new, exciting format of quick-fire tennis, Tie Break Tens will be headlined by World No.2 Andy Murray. He is joined by Henman, McEnroe, Davis Cup team-mate Kyle Edmund and World No.7 David Ferrer. A sixth player will qualify from the Champions Tennis field. Each of the ten matches at Tie Break Tens will be contested over a first-to-ten-point tie-break. The six-man field will be drawn into two groups of three players, using a round-robin format. The top two players in each group will go through to the semifinals, with the winner taking away a cheque for $250,000.

Tickets – www.royalalberthall.com/tennis or by calling the Royal Albert Hall box office on +44 (0) 20 7070 4404. Hospitality packages are available via www.championstennis.co.uk/hospitality/ or by calling +44 (0) 20 8233 5854.

For more information about Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall, go to www.championstennis.co.uk

For more information about Tie Break Tens, go to www.tiebreaktens.com

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, operating in more than 25 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages thousands of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is the world’s largest independent producer and distributor of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment agency, to form WME | IMG.

Topics: Champions Tennis, James Blake, Jamie Murray, Royal Albert Hall, Sports, Tennis News, Tim Henman

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10sBalls_com says:

December 2, 2015 at 8:59 pm

Tim Henman Topples James Blake In The Opening Day Thriller; Jamie Murray Receives Hero’s Welcome At #RoyalAlbertHall
https://t.co/LdDF8NyrNa