Cameron Norrie was pleased to show his mental fortitude in a gritty comeback victory over Giulio Zeppieri in the second round of the Australian Open.
A strong wind and two rain breaks, coupled with an inspired opponent, made life extremely difficult for the 19th seed but he battled to a 3-6 6-7 (4) 6-2 6-4 6-4 victory to set up a clash with 11th seed Casper Ruud.
Norrie took a medical timeout early in the match for treatment to his right knee and was also shaking out the troublesome left wrist that prompted his withdrawal from a tournament in Auckland last week.
The British number one is confident the issues will not hinder his chances, and took heart from being able to play through the discomfort.
He said: “I feel great right now. I think it will be interesting to see how I pull up. The legs feel great. Hopefully the wrist is good, as well. I think it’s just a good lesson to learn that I can play with a few distractions going on.
“I don’t think the knee was anything. I think it just was a bit more precautionary. Actually it loosened up. I think it was probably just being very tense from the match.
“I think I have to make sure I warm up really well. Once the wrist is warm, then I’m not feeling it. So I think it’s just trying to stay warm and play and not think about it. I was able to prove that in the first couple matches.
“I think I was making it a bigger deal than it probably was in the beginning of the match. I was addressing it too much. Once I switched my focus and my energy towards how to win and how to play and how to win points, I think that was key. I think it was a good match mentally for me.”
It is the third time Norrie has recovered from two sets down to win after his Davis Cup debut against Roberto Bautista Agut in 2018 and a first-round win over Diego Schwartzman at the US Open four years ago.
For the best part of two sets Norrie was unable to cope with the power of Zeppieri, ranked 133 but in form after coming through qualifying, who bullied the British number one with his serve and forehand.
In cool, windy conditions, Norrie did not get into the contest until late in the second set, when he gave himself the chance to level proceedings only to lose the tie-break.
The third set was affected by two rain delays but Norrie had changed the momentum and he hung tough through a close deciding set before gaining the crucial break of serve at 5-5.
“He came out firing and basically took the racket out of my hand for the first hour and a half,” said Norrie.
“I was really flat. I was just kind of complaining to myself about little things. Wasn’t moving. Wasn’t playing clear. I wasn’t thinking clearly.
“I just managed to rise the energy a little bit. He dropped slightly. I think, when the first rain delay came, I just felt a little bit more calmer coming out to court. I got a chance to chat with my coach and change the game plan a little bit, to play a little bit more to the backhand side.
“But I was really pleased more mentally how I managed to switch it around. I was not feeling good on the court. It was not great, but I managed to finish the match. I managed my serve so well from the start of the third.”
Norrie finds himself in the now familiar position of being the only British singles player left, and he will try to claim a first win over Ruud to reach the fourth round for the first time.
Alcaraz begins Madrid Open campaign with emphatic win
Carlos Alcaraz continued his fine record at the Madrid Open with an emphatic 6-2 6-1 victory over Alexander Shevchenko on Friday.
The two-time defending champion made it 12 straight wins at his home tournament to ensure he will face Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild in the last 32.
Alcaraz was playing his first match on the ATP Tour since March 28 after being unable to compete in the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open due to an arm injury.
But he was still able to make a fine start to his clay-court season, breaking serve in the first game and racing to victory in only one hour and eight minutes.
Data Debrief
Sometimes the scoreline can be harsh on a beaten player, but on this occasion Alcaraz was clearly dominant, breaking the Kazakh seven times in the match and forcing 11 break-point opportunities while conceding only three for his opponent.
That allowed the Spaniard to claim a dominant victory despite being broken once in each set. He will now turn his attention to a clash with Seyboth Wild, who battled past Lorenzo Musetti with a 6-4 6-4 win.
Reigning champion Sabalenka pushed by Linette at Madrid Open
Aryna Sabalenka got her Madrid Open campaign started with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over Magda Linette on Friday.
Sabalenka could not quite hit her peak form against Linette, but the world number two nevertheless got the job done after going the distance.
The Belarusian is hunting a record-equalling third title in Madrid, where she is the reigning champion, though she has not won back-to-back matches at a tournament since winning the Australian Open.
"It's not about being confident," Sabalenka said. "It's about how much you're ready to do to get it. It's about the hard work and to be ready, be ready for the big fights. I feel like confidence is not going to help you in those big matches. It's about staying there and fighting for it."
Data Debrief
Sabalenka (70 per cent, 56-24) is now one of five active players since 2020 to hold a winning percentage of 70 per cent or higher at WTA-1000 events.
Iga Swiatek, Simona Halep, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are the other players to feature on that list.
Rybakina continues clay winning streak with victory over Bronzetti
In-form Elena Rybakina has moved into the last 32 of the Madrid Open after a straight sets victory over Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
Number four seed Rybakina triumphed 6-4 6-3 on Friday and will next face either Marta Kostyuk or Mayar Sherif.
Rybakina was broken early in each set but ultimately had few problems getting over the line, converting four of her five break points to continue an impressive run of results after winning the Stuttgart Open last week.
She has now won five consecutive WTA matches and has 13 straight wins on clay courts to her name in a superb streak that started one year ago.
Data Debrief: Rybakina in elite company
Since the start of 2020, only two other players have claimed as many 13 consecutive WTA wins on clay, and they are Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep, so Rybakina is in elite company.
Rybakina's last defeat on this surface came in the 2023 edition of the Madrid Open, when she fell to Anna Kalinskaya in her first match, so this win represented a better start to her campaign in the Spanish capital.
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