Henman has a point to prove

As recently as this summer Henman would have been heavily favoured to breeze past Murray with the minimum of fuss.

But their contrasting trajectories post-Wimbledon have attached greater significance to this timely encounter in the Davidoff Swiss Indoors.

Murray has closed the world ranking gap between the pair to 42 and victory for the young Scot would be seen as conclusive proof of an imminent changing of the guard.

''It is a match I'm looking forward to. I have great respect for Tim as a man and as a tennis player,'' Murray said.

''He has a great career and he will be quite a challenge to play him.''

Henman increasingly appears to be clinging on to his position as the domestic number one, as he also finds under threat from Greg Rusedski's recent revival.

And it is not a position Henman appears to particularly relish. He said: ''It will be a very difficult match but I've managed to handle similar situations in the past.

''It's not going to be an easy match for either of us - it never is when you come up against somebody from the same country.''

''We practised back home in London last week and we've also practised together out here, so we do get on well and we know how each other plays.

''Andy's rise to fame this year is well documented. His achievements this year are nothing short of phenomenal when you consider how old he is, and he has obviously got a very bright future ahead of him.''

Henman will take heart from the fact that in nine previous meetings with his regular domestic nemesis Rusedski, he has emerged triumphant from seven of them.

But recent form suggests he has got a fight on his hands.

Since losing in the second round of Wimbledon to Dmitry Tursunov, Henman has won just three matches and plummeted out of the world top 20.

Murray, meanwhile, has made it past the first round in all five of the top-level tournaments he has played since his his Wimbledon breakthrough, including reaching the final of the Thailand Open in Bangkok.