Tim Henman of Britain stunned Andy Roddick in the Paris Masters semifinals Saturday, upsetting the American 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) and ending his bid for a seventh title this season.
"He came up with the goods -- so, well done," Roddick said. "He just outplayed me."
Henman converted his sixth match point to improve to 2-1 this year against Roddick, the US Open champion who already was assured of moving up to No. 1 in the ATP Tour rankings next week.
As the 21-year-old's game unwound, he cursed and slammed his racket to the ground and at one point, whacked his head with it a few times in punishment for sending a service return to the net.
"It was a great match for me, and hopefully a great match for the spectators," Henman said. "It's certainly the best that I've played, but the job's not done."
Henman faces unseeded Andrei Pavel of Romania in the final, who upset No. 14 Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in Saturday's other semifinal.
The 29-year-old Pavel, who was sidelined for six months with back and wrist injuries, had won a mere three matches this season prior to Paris. Ranked 191st, Pavel was only invited to play in Paris last Friday when everyone above him pulled out.
"I didn't expect to be in the final," said Pavel. "I'm so happy."
The unseeded Romanian's advance to the last round included a win over No. 5 seed Rainer Schuettler in the quarters and then Novak, who toppled top-seed Juan Carlos Ferrero.
His forecast for the final: "If I play aggressive like today, I have a big chance."
Henman's victory over Roddick also came on top of a stellar run in Paris. The Briton, who has never won a Masters Series title, eliminated Wimbledon champion and third-seeded Roger Federer, No. 7 Sebastien Grosjean and three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten in earlier rounds. Henman says he's never played better.
"It's certainly the best that I've played," Henman said. "It's always been there. You know, I've played well in patches, but not as consistently."
Henman's strategy against the strongest server in the game was clear: Run Roddick ragged. He brought the American up and sent him back, then side-to side. The tactic racked up repeated points.
Henman, who's been working to improve his serve, left Roddick stunned at the baseline on several occasions. The 29-year-old started strong, breaking Roddick's opening service and then held in the next game with an aggressive display of the serve-and-volley skills he excels at.
"The first game can be an opportunity," Henman said. "It set the tone for the match. It sent a message to Andy."
In the eighth game of the opening set, Henman fired an ace that left Roddick clenching his racket between both palms. When Roddick sent the next point long, he slammed his racket to the carpet, drawing boos from the crowd.
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