Henman handed daunting opener

Tim Henman has been handed a testing opening match as he continues his comeback from a serious knee injury in the prestigious Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

Henman will take on qualifier Guillermo Canas, the Argentinian who pulled off a stunning win over Roger Federer last week, ending the world number one's 41-match winning streak.

The British number two admitted the baking weather conditions forecast for Miami will make it tough, saying: "The humidity is a killer and it can get really windy too, so it's important to realise that once you get on court and not get too frustrated."

It is not the sort of match Henman will relish after squandering a winning position in his first-round loss to Jan Hernych in Indian Wells.

He added: "I have got to try and be patient while also being positive in terms of my game plan.

"I need to serve a lot better than I did last week, so that's what I'm focusing on in practise. If I can do that I'll be in with a fighting chance against anybody."

Henman, who has slipped to 47th in the world rankings, remains optimistic about regaining his former elevated status within the game.

He added on his website, www.timhenman.org: "Although I didn't do as well as I would've wanted last week I feel I'm in much better shape now than I was when I first got out here.

"The most important thing was that my knee held up nicely after all of my matches and there was no adverse reaction."