Washington (AFP) – Britain’s Cameron Norrie rallied to defeat world number seven Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday, reaching the third round at the ATP and WTA DC Open. Norrie, seeking his sixth ATP title, captured his first victory over a top-10 player in 2 1/2 years by eliminating the second seed at the first hardcourt tuneup for the US Open.
“I made it very difficult for him,” Norrie said. “My backhand was coming through the court low. My forehand was jumping. I’m just enjoying my tennis a lot more these days.” Norrie, whose most recent title was in February 2023 at Rio, snapped a 14-match losing streak against top-10 foes with a fightback after taking a time violation to reset in the fifth game of the last set. “I was sweating so much I literally had to, my sweatband was moving on my arm and my shirt was bothering me,” Norrie said. “I said whatever, I’m just going to take the time violation and reset… I think I played maybe the three best points of the match after that. Held that game and I think that was the difference. It was a great move looking back.”
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Norrie said he was playing “like a kid again.” “I just kind of let go of the expectations and I’m playing tennis more to enjoy now,” he said. “You’ve got to enjoy it otherwise you can get burned out on this long schedule.” Also hoping to turn back the clock was seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams, who will make her return to singles after a 16-month hiatus later. The 45-year-old American will face compatriot Peyton Stearns while Japan’s Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, meets Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in another later match.
Musetti, who had a first-round bye, reached three semi-finals and a final on clay earlier this year, falling to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in a French Open semi-final. But he dropped his opener at Wimbledon and suffered his third loss in a row at Washington. Norrie managed only three winners in the first set, two of them on aces, but dominated the second set to force a third. Norrie saved five break points to hold in the fifth game of the final set then broke Musetti on his fourth chance in the sixth game, grabbing a 4-2 lead on an errant backhand by the Italian.
Musetti fought off two match points in the final game, one on a Norrie double fault, but fell to the 29-year-old left-hander by sending a backhand beyond the baseline after two hours and seven minutes. Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing beat France’s Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-1 for his first tour-level triumph since last year at Shanghai after the Frenchman ran into a clock at the rear corner of the court in the first set, hitting it with his right ankle. “I saw him falling down there,” Wu said. “I don’t know what happened but after I asked him. He said his foot actually maybe stuck under the clock. Hopefully he’s OK. I didn’t feel any difference (in his game). He was still reaching balls and good rallies.”
© 2024 AFP
