TIM HENMAN has moved into eighth place in the race to the ATP

TIM HENMAN has moved into eighth place in the race to the ATP Tour Championship in Hannover after successfully defending the President’s Cup in Tashkent yesterday, defeating Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 7-5, 6-4. “I have only ever beaten Albert before at the national championships in Spain.”Evidently comfortable on the Bournemouth clay, Mantilla noted that it differed from European red clay. “It doesn’t take top-spin so well, and the clay seems heavy and the ball slow,” he said. “But you still have a good chance to win if you have good mentality and a strong physique.”Fit as he is, Mantilla, who is 24 on Wednesday, resembles one of Bournemouth’s senior citizen’s with his bleached hair He dyed it after a bet with fellow player, Luis Lobo “I’m letting it grow out now,” he said.. He netted a forehand on a second opportunity, but on a third lured Mantilla into hitting a backhand long.Costa, whose efforts had seen little reward until that point, was back in the game, and Mantilla began to worry that yet another contest with his compatriot was about to run away from him.

“Albert has very good physique, and I don’t know what would have happened if he had won the second set,” the No 3 seed said.Mantilla made sure the question remained unanswered. Costa, after serving to stay in the match at 4-5, won only one more point – the first match point – before netting a forehand to lose after an hour and 28 minutes.”It wasn’t revenge, but it was a challenge for me to win today,” Mantilla said. Rallies of between 20 and 25 shots were liberally sprinkled with lobs and drop shots, and the movement on both sides of the net was fast and intelligent. Moreover, volleying was not neglected when the opportunity arose.Patience is a key to success on clay, and Costa’s was almost exhausted by the time he lost his serve to love for 1-3 in the second set. A howl of frustration was followed by a cry of “aaaargh!” in the next game as the No 2 seed missed with a forehand on his first break point of the match.

Sun, sea, and a cheque for $54,000 (pounds 32,000) made him a happy tourist.
Spectators were treated to an artistic style of tennis rarely seen on Wimbledon’s lawns as the Spaniards crafted their points on the slow green clay court. It was his first victory against Costa on the ATP Tour in five attempts, and his first tournament success since leaving the West Hampshire Club with the trophy 12 months ago. It was one of the Spaniard’s few unforced errors on the day he successfully defended the Samsung Open singles title, defeating Albert Costa, the 1996 champion and a fellow citizen of Barcelona, 6-3, 7-5

Mantilla’s excitement was understandable. EAGER TO address his hosts in English, Felix Mantilla took the microphone and thanked everybody, including the “ball-boys”, who happened to be girls. All of that I feel after such a great season and 10 years when we have worked so hard and achieved so much,” he said.”Over the years it has been such a wonderful place for me. I shall miss the spectators, the players and most of all the enjoyment.”It was never the money, but knowing when I come here I am going to enjoy myself and my cricket and the people. All that was always very important for me.”Wasim is handing the captaincy over to John Crawley and the overseas player spot to the Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan as he prepares to put his own energies into clearing up bribery allegations that have been dogging him and Pakistani cricket.He insisted the run of success for Lancashire – AXA League and NatWest Trophy winners this summer and also buoyed by this week’s news that their coach Dav Whatmore has signed a new long-term contract – will continue without him.Wasim’s own involvement on the field was minimal as Hampshire’s last three batsmen all sought to make it worth everyone’s while coming back for a match that at one stage looked certain to end on Saturday night until low sun stopped play for the second consecutive day.Hampshire, easily defeated but unbowed, had plenty to savour after posting a number of successes, in contrast to a 1997 that was moderate at best.Courtney Walsh rounded off another highly successful season – and possibly his Gloucestershire career – in familiar style to help clinch his county a fourth-place finish in the tale.The West Indian fast bowler finished with figures of 5 for 82 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge yesterday to emerge as the country’s leading wicket-taker, pipping Andy Caddick for the honour with a total of 106 victims.It was the seventh time this season that Walsh has claimed a five-wicket haul and it set up a 189-run victory that condemned Nottinghamshire to another heavy defeat in what has been a miserable end to their season.