Cameron Norrie, the British number one, succeeded in reaching the Australian Open fourth round for the first time by defeating Casper Ruud, the 11th seed, in a hard-fought match. Despite losing the second set to Ruud on tiebreakers, Norrie played aggressively with superior game strategy to win 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 6-3. The 28-year-old will face either German sixth seed Alexander Zverev or American teenager Alex Michelsen on Monday.
Norrie is the only British player remaining in either of the singles draws and is the first Briton to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park since Kyle Edmund in 2018. On reaching the last 16, Norrie expressed how “special” the event was for him. “I had to play really brave and almost won that second set, but I didn’t let it bother me and it was a good mental performance. I stuck to my gameplan and came through. I’ve been working hard in the off-season to be a little more aggressive and managed to do that,” added Norrie.
Norrie went through a difficult spell last year, losing ten of his twelve matches after the US Open and admitting to feeling burnt out from a consistently busy schedule since 2020. Norrie decided to take a break from the ATP Tour by withdrawing from the Paris Masters in October. After playing for Britain in the Davis Cup, Norrie started his pre-season programme with some hiking in the French Alps, which served as a mental refreshment for him. The trip, organised with his fitness trainer Vasek Jursik, was a challenging experience that took Norrie out of his comfort zone. It provided a mental freshness and built a strong fitness base for the season ahead.
Playing aggressively while targeting Ruud’s weaker backhand, Norrie showed that he is not just a baseline grinder, but can also go to the net. After a tight second set, in which Ruud had won through to a tiebreaker, Norrie was broken in the third set, but stuck to his plan. He went to the net, instantly levelling for 3-3, then took the lead before breaking for 5-2. Norrie won 41 of his 56 points at the net and volleyed well, hitting four more winning volleys in the final game to finish the match
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