British tennis number one Tim Henman played a blinder on Saturday - and so did his new wife.

The 25-year-old tennis heart-throb wed his fiancee, television producer Lucy Heald, at All Saints Church in Odiham, Hampshire.

It was a private service for family and friends but about 50 fans of the ace arrived outside the church and cheered the couple on their arrival.

The couple turned down offers of up to £250,000 from celebrity magazines who wanted exclusive rights to pictures of the wedding.

The bride, who is also 25, wore a white ankle-length v-necked dress with a silver tiara and a blue and silver diamond necklace.

Miss Heald, who also wore a white veil, was given away by her father, Professor Bill Heald.

After the ceremony the happy couple and their guests headed for the Heald family home in Odiham for a reception. Mr and Mrs Henman's honeymoon destination remains a secret.

Love blossomed between the pair when they met as Ms Heald prepared a documentary about the sports star.

They confirmed their engagement in July.

Henman - who has been dating Miss Heald for nearly three years - popped the question when the couple were on holiday in Tuscany, Italy.

The wedding follows hot on the heels of Henman's British tennis rival Greg Rusedski, who last week wed his long-term sweetheart Lucy Connor in a star-studded ceremony.

Henman denied there was any bad feeling between himself and Rusedski after reportedly turning down an invitation to his wedding, and failing to invite the British number two to his own.

Married in close season

Like the Rusedskis, Henman and Miss Heald chose the tennis close season in which to marry.

There had been suggestions Henman's forthcoming nuptials were placing a strain on his game after he suffered a run of bad form.

But despite losing out to Rusedski in the race to the altar, Henman won the race that counted in tennis terms, at least.

The final ATP tour rankings for 1999 have Henman ranked 12th, two places above his rival.

Henman and his wife have just a few weeks to savour a tennis-free honeymoon.

On 1 January the ATP player rankings revert to zero for each player, and the arduous professional circuit begins again.

Ms Heald, a Durham University graduate, now works for the sports programme company Trans World International.