Schuettler, Henman out of Dubai Open

Dubai:

Third-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany and sixth-seeded Tim Henman of Britain were eliminated in the first round of the Dubai Open. Schuettler lost to countryman Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, while 11th-ranked Henman fell against Tomas Zib of the Czech Republic 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4). Australian Mark Philippoussis is also out having been defeated by Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-2, 7-6 (8). Schuettler, who reached the final at the 2003 Australian Open, lost in the first round for the fourth time this season. He had the better of a tight first set against 164th ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber and went one set up, but Kohlschreiber made the vital break in the second set to level the match. Rallying steadily from the baseline, Kohlschreiber did the same thing in the third and deciding set to wrap up the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Sixth-seed Tim Henman continued his poor run in Dubai. In six visits, the Briton has reached the quarter-finals just twice. Zib first broke Henman in the fifth game of the first set when the favourite double faulted. The Czech wrapped up the first set by taking advantage of two unforced errors. Henman fought his way back into the match in the second set, but both players earned breaks in the decisive third. On serve in the eighth game, Henman saved two break points to level at 4-4. The former Wimbledon semi-finalist then saved a match point before sending the contest into a tiebreaker. Henman again saved a match point in the tiebreaker, but Zib finally beat the Briton 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4). Australian Mark Philippoussis, the fifth seed, lost the first four games of his match to the strong serving of Belgium's Olivier Rochus. Philippoussis put in a good performance, but Rochus was able to hold off two set points to take the match 6-2, 7-6 (8). (AP)