ADELAIDE, Jan 4: Top seed Tim Henman fired off a series of blazing backhands to beat fellow Briton Greg Rusedski 6-4 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Australian men’s hardcourt championship Friday.

Henman’s victory over Rusedski gave him a place in the semifinals against unseeded Spaniard Alberto Martin, who upset third seed Thomas Enqvist of Sweden 3-6 6-4 6-3.

Henman achieved a crucial break of serve in the ninth game to serve out the first set against the sixth seeded Rusedski and he repeated the effort in the second set.

Henman, the world number nine, has yet to win a major title.

Morocco’s fourth seed Hicham Arazi beat eighth-seed Ivan Ljubicic 4-1 after the Croatian retired with an elbow injury.

The big-serving Australian recovered after losing the first set to American Todd Martin before winning 4-6 6-2 6-2.

Results

Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat Todd Martin (U.S.) 4-6 6-2 6-2; 1-Tim Henman (Britain) beat 6-Greg Rusedski (Britain) 6-4 6-4 Alberto Martin (Spain) beat 3-Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) 3-6 6-4 6-3; 4-Hicham Arazi (Morocco) beat 8-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 4-1 retired