Cameron Norrie crashes out of Australian Open after nightmare final set tie-break against Alexander Zverev
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Updated 22/01/2024 at 09:56 GMT
British interest in the Australian Open singles is over for another year after Cameron Norrie fell at the final hurdle in his fourth-round clash with Alexander Zverev. Norrie had not even won a set in four previous meetings with Zverev but was superb as he pushed the German the distance, only to collapse when it mattered most in the match tie-break on Margaret Court Arena.
'The tie-break king' - Zverev beats Britain's Norrie in five thrilling sets
Video credit: TNT Sports
Cameron Norrie bowed out of the Australian Open in heartbreaking fashion after losing a final set tie-break to Alexander Zverev in the fourth round.
The British No. 1 had twice rallied from a set down to force a decider but his game deserted him in the 10-point breaker as he went down 7-5 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6(3).
Norrie claimed one of the biggest wins of his career in the third round when beating 11th seed Casper Ruud, while he also fought back from two sets down to beat Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri.
But stopping Zverev presented an even greater challenge, with the German leading their head-to-head 4-0 without dropping a set.
Norrie gamely set about his challenge and was a brick wall for his opening five service games, even if he failed to get much of a look at the German's serve.
But the cracks suddenly appeared as he slipped to 15-40 at 5-5. Although he rallied and had a makeable mid-court forehand shot for deuce, he blasted into the net to gift the first break of the match.
Norrie edged a punishing rally to earn an immediate break-back point, however Zverev steadied to swat it away and serve out the opening set.
The Brit's challenge appeared to be fading when he dropped his serve again midway through the second set, but it sparked him into life as he hit straight back – sealing his first break of the match with a fine backhand on the stretch.
Suddenly it was Norrie in the ascendancy and the 19th seed cranked up the aggression to break again and tee up a chance to level the contest.
He had to do it the hard way – saving four break points, featuring one particularly sloppy return from Zverev on a shaky second serve – but when a short forehand somehow bobbled over the net, it was one set apiece.
Despite his impressive fightback, Norrie's first serve was starting to disappear. He handed Zverev a break for 3-1 in the third and, despite a spectator protest interrupting proceedings, the German avoided trouble on serve to retake the lead.
Norrie continued to chase down every ball and quickly earned two break points at the start of the fourth set, but Zverev upped his game to recover and hold.
The set stayed on serve all the way into the 10th game, when some outstanding play from Norrie yielded two set points at 15-40. The Brit took the set, and levelled the match, at the first time of asking with a tremendous drop volley.
Norrie surrendered a break at the start of the decider after successive botched forehands found the net, but he went all-out attack to get two immediate break-back points – drawing level once more when Zverev followed him into the net.
The forehand was going missing but the backhand was proving as reliable as ever and some clutch tennis bailed Norrie out in a mammoth seventh game with three break points passing Zverev by – although the German got the consolation prize of winning the point of the match, dubbed "tennis from another planet" by Peter Odgers on Eurosport commentary.
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'Tennis from another planet' - Norrie and Zverev dish up the goods
Video credit: TNT Sports
Norrie continued to dig deep as he booked his ticket for the match tie-break, with Zverev soon joining him with some unerring serving.
The Brit produced an outrageous drop shot to cancel out an early mini break, but from that point on he was rugged – a far cry of the man on court for the previous four hours – as Zverev raced away to take it 10-3 and seal a spot in the quarter-finals.
Asked how he was so resilient on the backhand wing, Zverev replied: "Close your eyes, swing, and pray for the best.
"When it’s 6-6 in the fifth, nothing really helps anymore. Our whole family - my brother, father, mum - we all had great backhands and had absolutely no forehands. Nobody knew how to hold a racquet on the forehand side or on the serve. I’m lucky enough to be 6’6”, that helps. It comes from the family."
Zverev will face second seed Carlos Alcaraz or Miomir Kecmanovic in the last eight.
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