Henman turns the other cheek

Tim Henman has been asked to autograph all sorts of things in his long career but the normally unflappable Briton never thought he would be asked to sign a fan's bottom.

The Australian Open was buzzing on Thursday as local newspapers carried photos of one excited young fan waving her bikini clad bottom at the British number one after his straight-sets win over Belarussian Vladimir Voltchkov on Wednesday.

The unidentified fan asked Henman to sign her blue and red bikini pants, which had a Union Jack on the front and the words "Lie back and think of England" on the back.

Henman, happily married since December 1999, politely declined.

"I've signed somebody's forehead before, but not a bum," Henman said after his match.

Sixth seed Henman is the highest seed left in the tournament after a disastrous opening three days for the tournament, where all five of the top men's seeds failed to reach the third round for the first time in the event's 97-year history.