Tennis: Baltacha is beaten but unbowed

Although she was beaten 6-1, 6-3, the scoreline did not do Baltacha's display justice as she held her own for large parts of the 61-minute contest against the Belgian at Rod Laver Arena.

And the British No.1 was in bullish mood afterwards.

She said: "I feel great. I knew going into the match it was going to be very difficult and it would have to be an unbelievable performance (to win).

"But it was quite interesting actually. I learnt so much about the match, the positives of what I've improved in my game from last year when playing a top player and the things I have to get better at."

The occasion seemed to get to the Scot early on as she was broken in the opening game and then struggled to keep pace with the seven-time major winner, who secured two more breaks to claim the opening set in just 27 minutes.

But the second was much better, Baltacha shrugging off her nerves to match Henin stroke for stroke.

Although Henin was untroubled on serve she was not making much of an impression on the Baltacha delivery either, the 27-year-old levelling at 3-3 with a delightful lob as her opponent closed in on the net.

But just when it seemed Baltacha had settled into the occasion, Henin struck.

A series of powerful returns set up three break points and although Baltacha saved the first two, Henin took the third with a forehand cross-court winner.

Uncharacteristically, Henin almost let Baltacha off the hook, some sloppy groundstrokes gifting the world No.55 two break points which she was unable to convert, and an ace from the Belgian ended the contest and sealed her place in the third round. It appeared Baltacha afforded the 11th seed too much respect in the early stages but she dismissed that suggestion afterwards.

She added: "I wouldn't say it was respect, I don't really have a problem with that.

"I just thought I needed to do more. I think I was trying to overhit it, trying to go for tighter margins, and in the second set I realised I didn't have to.

"I was just trying to get more comfortable in the rally. Then if I did enough, go for the right ball, but not off the first or second shot."

Baltacha was more than satisfied with her efforts in Melbourne, today's defeat coming after a hard-fought win against American qualifier Jamie Hampton in the first round.

"Another great year here for me," said Baltacha, who reached the third round at Melbourne Park in 2010. "I always love coming back here, I've got very special memories here.

"I can't complain about my week. "It's been wonderful."

Meanwhile, Fernando Verdasco saved three match points on his way to a stunning victory over Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic in the second round of the men's singles.

The Spanish ninth seed looked to be on his way home at two sets down and again when Tipsarevic served for the match in the fourth set when leading 6-5. But Verdasco hung in there, saving one of the match points with a stunning running pass down the line from way out of the court, and eventually came through 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0), 6-0.

Having been taken to the fourth set breaker Tipsarevic crumbled, winning just five points the rest of the way.

Verdasco will now meet Kei Nishikori, the young Japanese player beating Germany's Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3.

Andy Roddick, the eighth seed, overcame a tight first set to see off Igor Kunitsyn 7-6 (9/7), 6-2, 6-3 and the American was pleased to have got through in a little over two hours.

He said: "I feel like I'm hitting the ball fine. I'm serving very well, controlling the match with that right now. That's always a good thing for me."

Tomas Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon finalist and sixth seed, beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, while 17th seed Ivan Ljubicic saw off Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

Berdych will meet 28th seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet next. Gasquet today beat countryman Adrian Mannarino in straight sets.

Mardy Fish is out, though, after losing to Spain's Tommy Robredo.

The 16th-seeded American started well before Robredo upped his game to go through courtesy of a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 triumph.