Tim Henman's dismal season sank to a fresh low when he was dumped out of the Artois Championship in the first round with a humiliating 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 4-6 defeat to wildcard Marin Cilic.

The British number two appeared to be cruising early in the third set after making an abysmal start to the match but he allowed Cilic - a man 14 years his junior - back into the game.

A crucial Hawk-Eye challenge was the key moment with the technology finding in favour of the 18-year-old Croat when he queried a call, breaking Henman as a result.

The defeat against a talented but erratic opponent who was clearly suffering from nerves will renew calls for Henman to retire.

His lack of confidence was plain to see with his composure deserting him at crucial moments and yesterday's Queen's Club exit is his sixth first-round defeat in seven tournaments this season.

A terrible start, which saw him concede an early break point, hinted at the problems to come.

But the 32-year-old settled and made the crucial breakthrough in the fourth, making inroads into Cilic's serve and taking the game when the Croatian hit long.

He then had to save three break points and the target proved too great with Cilic firing a cross court forehand to take the game in emphatic style.

The 6ft 5in former world junior number one used all his height to unleash a fearsome smash and claim three opportunities to take Henman's serve, needing only the second when a routine shot hit the net.

Henman broke back as the pendulum swung once again, taking the set into a tie-break which was settled in Cilic's favour with a double fault on service.

Henman won the opening three games of the second set as Cilic's serve became increasingly erratic, but the towering wildcard still produced the odd top-drawer shot.

The occasion had clearly got to Cilic, who conceded the next game in double quick time before stopping the rot in the fifth by saving three break points with some more confident play.

Henman was still in full control, winning easily on his next service only to then make heavy weather of taking the set, wasting three key points.

Nerves were also clearly getting to the veteran from Oxford who drew two failed Hawk-Eye decisions before triumphing 6-2 with one forehand drive on the turn catching the eye.

The writing looked on the wall for Cilic when he was broken in the opening game of the third set but he made more of a fight of it after the early setback.

By the eighth he was even back on equal terms, securing two break points and appearing to have squandered the first of them when he hit long.

But he used one of his three challenges for Hawk-Eye and came up trumps when the big screen erected on centre court showed his shot had clearly landed inside the baseline.

Cilic easily won the next game and Henman was now serving to stay in the match.

Once again his composure evaporated as he hit two shots into the net and a third wide to give Cilic two match points.

Henman produced an ace for the first but then to his horror smashed the second long to hand Cilic a prized victory.

Greg Rusedski began the final tournament of his career with a 6-3 7-5 win over qualifier Chris Llewellyn at the Liverpool international tournament.