Canas prevailed 6-7 5-7 7-6 7-5 9-7

Canas prevailed, 6-7, 5-7, 7-6, 7-5, 9-7.So once again Henman has fallen short at the highest level of the game, raising familiar doubts. He is proud of his exploits on the Wimbledon lawns, and believes he is capable of improving on four semi-final appearances there on his favourite surface.But he acknowledges that he ought to have done better at the three other Grand Slam championships, having failed to advance beyond the fourth round when asked to deal with the high bounce on Australia’s Rebound Ace, the slow clay in France and the rubberised concrete in the United States. “However,” he added, in case listeners thought he had lost touch with reality, “if you get involved in a big match it’s not easy to stay relaxed.”Those words were amplified on Saturday as Henman’s 100 winning shots were diluted by 74 errors and his nine aces were erased by the same number of double-faults. That was because Henman missed the Australian Open last year. Except by Henman.
As he searched to salvage encouraging thoughts from a potentially disheartening defeat – he led Canas by two sets to love and by 4-1 in the final set of a duel lasting four hours and 53 minutes – Henman knew one thing for sure: something similar could not have happened 12 months ago. Even Leeds’ most senior executives do not know the identities of the bidders, who have invoked their right to client confidentiality and have made their approach solely via their accountants and solicitors.
A flurry of weekend speculation suggested the bid might involve a remarkable footballing renaissance for businessman Geoffrey Richmond. The former chairman of Bradford, who oversaw a catastrophic financial meltdown at Valley Parade, denied any involvement last night.”I’ve had my 15 years in the game and I’ve got my bruises,” he said.

“I’ve got absolutely no interest in Leeds whatsoever, although I wish good luck to whoever has.”Another name being linked to the bid is that of Jeremy Fenn, a former Leeds chief executive from the pre-Ridsdale era. He has long established ties to the club and is associated with the Leeds-supporting computer millionaire, Peter Wilkinson, who has been touted as a possible saviour in the past. A sensation after Brian Flynn paid £60,000 to take him to Wrexham from Rhyl Town in 2001, the Liverpool-born striker left the Racecourse under a cloud last summer but, reunited with his former manager at the Vetch Field, has repaid Flynn’s faith in massive measure. Saturday’s winning goal, fired home from close range with eight minutes left, was his 20th of the season.That it should come against Preston in the Cup only embellished Trundle’s joy. Now 27, he was turned down at Deepdale after trying out at 18 and it took him six years to get another chance with a League club. David Moyes was Preston’s number two at the time; so Trundle wouldn’t mind a crack at Everton, too.The Preston manager Brown roundly castigated his players.

“We knew they would mount a comeback but we should be able to withstand that kind of pressure,” he said “I can’t believe we are out of the competition. Even when Robinson’s free-kick went in, I thought we would have to replay at worst.”It was Trundle’s fifth goal in Swansea’s Cup run, in which he has scored in every round. “We’ve had four home draws so far and I’d be happy with another, whoever it is against,” the manager Flynn said.Given that both goals came in the space of two minutes, cancelling out Dickson Etuhu’s easy header early in the second half, it was “a typical fairytale ending” according to the former Wales midfielder, who had his story, too.When Swansea lost to a freak Preston goal in the 1964 semi-final at Villa Park, he had been an eight-year-old schoolboy, listening on the radio.”It is too long ago to call it revenge but I remember how flat everyone felt around here,” Flynn said. “We really thought we were going to win the Cup for Wales for the first time since Cardiff in 1927, so it was such a disappointment.”Goals: Etuhu (58) 0-1; Robinson (80) 1-1; Trundle (82) 2-1.Swansea City (4-3-2-1): Freestone; S Jones (Hylton, 48), O’Leary, Iriekpen, Howard; Britton, Martinez, Robinson (Coates, 85); Maylett, Connolly (Thomas, 63); Trundle.