- Cameron Norrie came from a set down to beat Carlos Alcaraz 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 in a thrilling Rio Open final on Sunday night
- Norrie’s victory comes just seven days after he lost the Argentina Open to Carlos Alcaraz in Buenos Aires.
British number one Cameron Norrie came from a set down to beat Carlos Alcaraz 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 in a thrilling Rio Open final on Sunday night.
Cameron Norrie’s victory comes just seven days after he lost the Argentina Open to Carlos Alcaraz in Buenos Aires. This is the second time Norrie has won a title on clay, having previously won the Lyon Open last year.
Cameron Norrie. Photo/ Rio Open.
It is the Briton’s first title since the start of the year. Norrie has now moved up to 12th in the ATP standings, following his memorable win in Rio de Janeiro.
When he was one set down, the Briton thought he was losing to the same opponent that defeated him seven days ago. However, he dug deep and battled like the experienced player he is, taking advantage of Carlos Alcaraz’s injury to turn things round. Carlos suffered an injury in the middle of the match.
Speaking after his win in Rio de Janeiro, Cameron Norrie said that it felt good to win his first title after losing several finals this year.
“It’s so special to win this one especially after losing a couple of finals already this year. I had to do it the tough way, I was a set and a break down and 0-30 on my serve. I managed to flick a switch and turn it around, so it was a good day. I had to battle a lot of demons in the last couple of weeks but managed to play well in the big moments and that’s what it took today.” Cameron Norrie said post-match, after winning the Rio Open final.
How The Game Folded
The first four games were held on serve, and it was Cameron Norrie who had the first break point chance in the fifth game. However, he failed to convert it.
Alcaraz had three break points afterwards, but Norrie showed his quality to make it 4-4-. Two games later, Norrie was serving to stay in the set and faced a set point delicate drop shot from the Spaniard. However, he did well and levelled the scores. Carlos Alcaraz delivered some big serves to win the set.
The world number two broke Cameron in the second set and took a 3-0 lead. Norrie was trailing 0-30 on his serve in the fourth game but he did impressively well to get himself back into the game. With the momentum on his side, Norrie made it four consecutive games to take a 4-3 lead. He went on to win the next two games, forcing a decider.
Carlos Alcaraz’s right thigh was heavily strapped at the changeover but that did not stop him from taking a 2-0 lead in the final set. However, Cameron Norrie managed to turn this game around and win the decider in his Rio Open final clash with the Spaniard.
Cameron Norrie. Photo/ Record.
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