LONDON -- Briton Tim Henman is still struggling with a shoulder injury and has asked organizers at the U.S. Open for a later start to allow him time to recover.

The fifth seed has been drawn against Finnish qualifier Toumas Ketola in the first round of the final Grand Slam of the year, which starts at Flushing Meadows on Monday.

Ketola has never won a Grand Slam match and is ranked 228th in the world, but Henman's main focus at present is not his opponent but the nagging shoulder injury.

"Toumas is a very talented player -- he beat Mario Ancic 6-1 6-1 in the last round of qualifying so he must be playing very well," Henman was quoted as saying by the BBC on Saturday.

"However, my main concern is to get as fit as possible. My arm feels a little better with every passing day so I've just got to be patient and do the best I can with what I've got."

Henman was forced to withdraw from the RCA Championships in Indianapolis earlier this month after the injury, which he has suffered with before, flared up and he had an MRI scan.

But the British No. 1 said at the time that he should be fit in time to make a strong challenge in New York, but the 27-year-old still cannot practice for more than an hour a day.

"My shoulder injury is taking a little longer to heal then I would like," he said on Saturday.

"When I first spoke to the experts in Indianapolis they thought that there was a good chance that it would have healed completely by the time the Open came around. Unfortunately it's proving a little stubborn and I can still feel it. I have only just been able to start serving.

"Anything over shoulder height is still causing me a little discomfort and therefore I've asked for a late start to give myself a chance of competing."