The 26-year-old from Oxford, top seed in the tournament, held the upper hand throughout the match despite a brave display from teenager Vinciguerra.

The Briton showed his intent right from the start as he took the opening game to love and immediately grabbed the upper hand as he broke his young opponent at the first opportunity.

Within 11 minutes the British number two had moved into a 3-0 lead, but Vinciguerra began to fight back, holding his serve and then forcing Henman to deuce before eventually losing the fifth game.

Growing in confidence Vinciguerra, winner here last year, enjoyed a love service game himself before breaking Henman.

However, that display of resistance was soon quashed as Henman broke again, this time to love and then went on to comfortably close out the first set.

Vinciguerra briefly threatened to make a fight of it early in the second set when he held his opening service game before taking Henman to deuce.

But it proved to be a false dawn as Henman showed the determination which has been the backbone of his fine showing in Denmark this week to break in the very next game and then move 3-1 ahead.

Henman almost broke Vinciguerra again in game seven, but could not take his chance at 30-40 and allowed his opponent, who celebrates his birthday tomorrow, to serve out.