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Cameron Norrie Advances at Madrid Open Despite Illness
In an impressive display of resilience, Cameron Norrie fought through illness and saved a match point to secure a victory over Spain’s Martin Landaluce in the first round of the Madrid Open. This match marked a significant moment for Norrie, given his recent struggles with form, which has seen him drop to 91st in the world rankings. The former British No. 1 had not achieved an ATP Tour win since the Indian Wells tournament in early March.
Despite not feeling at his best physically, Norrie utilized his experience to claim the match with a final score of 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4. After the match, Norrie disclosed that he has been contending with sickness. Speaking to Sky Sports, he expressed, “It’s terrible timing but at least I have another day tomorrow to rest. Hopefully it will pass pretty quickly.”
The match itself was a rollercoaster; Norrie began with a promising lead, going up 3-0 in the first set but then lost five consecutive games. In the second set, he found himself down 0-3 but rallied, showcasing his determination. Ultimately, a crucial moment came when Landaluce, holding a match point at 4-5, narrowly missed a pivotal forehand, allowing Norrie to turn the tide.
“It’s maybe one of my favourite wins,” Norrie remarked, reflecting on the challenging nature of the match. He acknowledged his physical limitations, stating, “I was feeling absolutely terrible, I wasn’t sure I was going to play, I had no energy, didn’t sleep at all last night.” He recognized the talent in Landaluce, noting he had to fight hard for every point.
Impact of Alcaraz’s Withdrawal
The draw was notably affected by the withdrawal of second seed Carlos Alcaraz, who suffered a leg injury during the final of the Barcelona Open against Holger Rune and was unable to recover in time for the Madrid event. Alcaraz expressed his disappointment in a press conference, stating, “I’m really disappointed that I’m not able to play here in Madrid, it’s a place that I love playing, in front of my people. It was a really difficult situation, really difficult to decide, but it is what it is. You have to hear your body sometimes. I will come back stronger.”
Swiatek Fights Back Against Eala
In the women’s draw, defending champion Iga Swiatek overcame a difficult start against Filipino teenager Alexandra Eala, avenging her earlier loss at the Miami Open. Eala took an early lead, winning the first set and breaking Swiatek’s serve in the second. However, Swiatek demonstrated her resilience by clawing back to win the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
In a surprising turn, Jelena Ostapenko, the recent Stuttgart champion who had previously defeated Swiatek six times in a row, was ousted in the first round by fellow Latvian Anastasija Sevastova. Sevastova has made a remarkable return after maternity leave and a serious knee injury.
Meanwhile, the seventh seed Mirra Andreeva achieved a comfortable win over Marie Bouzkova with a score of 6-3, 6-4, and 11th seed Emma Navarro triumphed over Australian qualifier Maya Joint, winning 7-5, 7-5.
As the tournament unfolds, the absence of top competitors and the emergence of young talent promise an exciting atmosphere for tennis fans.
Source
www.skysports.com