Henman vows to fight on after limp loss to Latvian

The British No 2 was routed 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 by the inspired Latvian, an 18-year-old ranked 84th in the world. After the loss, questions were naturally raised about Henman's future in the game, but the 32-year-old from Oxford vowed to fight on.

"It would be easy to throw in the towel but it does not enter my mind," said Henman, who has really struggled for form in an injury-plagued 2007.

"There is no magic secret. You just have to get on with it. I have to find a way of replicating my practice form into a match. That's easier said than done. But there's still a lot of excitement and expectation there. And I still enjoy competing."

The nerveless Gulbis may be ranked 84th but he played like a top-20 player at times on Court Six. Henman admitted he was sorely lacking in self-belief, and hopes to find more success in the forthcoming grass-court season. "I will keep working but confidence is an issue," said the Briton, who was badly let down by his serve yesterday.

Henman was second best from the moment he blew a 0-40 lead in the fifth game of the first set. Gulbis was able to regain his composure to win five straight points and hold that game.

For a player making his grand slam debut, Gulbis showed few signs of nerves throughout, attempting almost every shot in the book from the back of the court as he blew the Briton away. Henman showered praise on the Latvian, who is in line for a meeting with reigning champion Rafael Nadal in the third round if he wins his next match. "He is going to be a very good player in the future," he said.

A bigger shock than Henman's demise was a fourth first-round exit for third seed Andy Roddick, who had no complaints when he lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 by Russian Igor Andreev, the world No 125.

It was a tough day for Americans with all eight US men who completed their matches being beaten. Roddick, who has never been beyond round three in Paris, led by a set and 4-2 but Andreev hit back to clinch victory in two hours, 43 minutes.

"I've had some disappointing losses here, but I actually felt like I played ok today," said Roddick, who has won just four matches in seven trips to the French capital. "I've been my own worst enemy here a lot of time but a lot of the credit has to go to him."

Conditions remained unseasonably overcast in Paris but the rain stayed away enough to allow the tournament to finally get going after a drizzle-hit opening. Nadal defeated teenage Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro 7-5, 6-3, 6-2, while world No1 Roger Federer beat Michael Russell of the United States 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Former world No 1 Lleyton Hewitt continued his resurgence to crush former doubles partner Max Mirnyi 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. James Blake completed a forgettable day for the US when the eighth seed lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 to Croatian Ivo Karlovic.

Things went according to the script in the women's draw. Nicole Vaidisova and Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic lifted dampened spirits with their photogenic smiles after moving into the second round.

Czech sixth seed Vaidisova picked apart Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-4, 6-3 and Jankovic was merciless in a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of France's Stephanie Foretz.