The unseeded 32-year-old Henman, now ranked 58th in the world, needed just over 80 minutes to take out the fourth seed in the first round.
BANGKOK: British veteran Tim Henman finally saw his luck change against Andy Murray on Wednesday as he beat the teenager for the first time in four attempts, 6-4, 6-2, at the Thailand Open.
The unseeded 32-year-old Henman, now ranked 58th in the world, needed just over 80 minutes to take out the fourth seed in the first round.
Murray, at a career-high world number 16, first defeated Henman late last year in Basel and then produced back-to-back wins last month at ATP Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Henman said he was more pleased about earning victory, his 23rd of the season against 16 losses, than he was about finally besting his heir apparent as Britain's top player.
He conceded that Murray's late arrival from Davis Cup play at the weekend in Ukraine certainly didn't help the 19-year-old Scot's cause.
"He's had a tough schedule," said Henman, who next faces another countryman Thursday when he goes against Alex Bogdanovic in the second round.
"Andy's had a lot of matches and I'm sure he was tired."
Henman's success hinged on the marathon final game of the opening set, when he saved four break points, only to see three set points evaporate.
But the veteran's perseverance and experience paid off when he finally converted on set point with a crisp chip volley winner.
The loss of the first set took the wind out of a demoralised Murray, with the Scot boiling over and receiving a warning for abuse in the first game of the second set as he lost serve.
Henman then displayed some of his best tennis, reaching 4-0 on two breaks.
Murray won a pair of games before surrendering, with Henman finishing him off on another dink volley winner that just dropped over the net.
Finnish fifth seed Jarkko Nieminen, a two-time semi-finalist in Bangkok, fought through a troublesome opening set to finally subdue Argentina's Edgardo Massa, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-2.
The South American, ranked 247th, played well above his level, pushing the Finn to three sets.
Nieminen, winner of his first career trophy last January and ranked 17th just behind Murray, earned his place in the second round against Canada's Frank Dancevic.
France's Julien Benneteau notched a 6-4, 6-2 win over Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi, a late substitute from the qualifying rounds after second seed Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.
After crashing out in the first round in Beijing earlier this month, German Rainer Schuettler rebounded to beat South Korea's Hyung-taik Lee 6-1, 6-4.
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