December 31, (THEWILL) – British tennis player, Cameron Norrie, pulled off a major upset by defeating Rafael Nadal, in the United Cup in Sydney.
Norrie, who had never won a set against the 22-time major champion in their previous four meetings, beat Nadal 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in front of a capacity crowd at the Ken Rosewall Arena, giving Great Britain a 1-0 lead against Spain in the inaugural mixed international team competition, which is being held in Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney from December 29 to January 8.
Norrie said that his victory was a “great way to end the year” and told reporters: “I was thinking I’d never won a set before [against Nadal] and I came out firstly wanting to do that. I had to stay super patient. It was a super-physical match and I enjoyed it. It was huge to get through that one and finally beat him.”
The 27-year-old had previously defeated Australia’s Alex de Minaur, in Britain’s first match of the tournament. The victory is as much a boost for Norrie as it is a disappointment for Nadal, who will be defending his title at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
The Spaniard was unable to maintain his high level of play throughout the match and, in his post-match comments, said: “It is far from ideal preparation for me as I lose the first match of the Australian swing, where I will attempt to defend my title in Melbourne.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
