March 27, (THEWILL) – Cameron Norrie has advanced to the last 16 of the Miami Open for the first time in his career, after defeating Hugo Gaston of France 6-3 7-5.
Norrie, who would break into the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time, if he matches Jannik Sinner’s run at the Miami Open, was forced into long rallies by the 21-year-old, but he managed to win in one hour and 55 minutes.
Gaston, ranked number 68 in the world, got off to a strong start, breaking Norrie’s serve in the first game after the Brit missed a powerful forehand. But Norrie fought back immediately in the second game, smashing a backhand into the net.
After Gaston over-sliced his attempted lob far behind the baseline, Norrie picked up his third game in a row to go 3-1 up.
Gaston struggled as the rallies progressed, as he continued to throw dropshots that Norrie successfully matched. At 4-1 down, the 21-year-old was forced to take a medical timeout owing to a nagging right ankle problem.
Gaston recovered a game, saving two break points, but Norrie held on to his service games to finish the set in 55 minutes.
The second set was more competitive until the seventh game, when Norrie broke Gaston’s resistance by hitting a weak forehand into the net. Gaston saved five match points on his own serve, and he made Norrie fight for the win by saving another on the Brit’s serve before completing his own break point.
In the next game, though, Norrie fought his way into break point position and capitalised on Gaston’s volley. In frustration, Gaston slammed a spare ball out of the arena.
Norrie was finally able to serve out the match with an ace on his eighth match point. In his post-match remarks, the Brit said: “It was one of those days.
“It was tough to close it out. I was a little bit stressed out. I managed to sneak through but I felt I got a bit tentative and lost my feet and I wasn’t moving enough. I was really happy with how I responded after getting broken and he’s a tricky guy.
“You feel like you have to be really aggressive or he will throw in a drop shot at any point. I managed to solve the drop shots a lot and execute a couple and it showed on some big points.”
In his effort to capture his fourth ATP title on North American soil, the British number one will face Casper Ruud or Alexander Bublik after knocking out compatriot Jack Draper in straight sets in the previous round.
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.
