French Open: Cameron Norrie knocked out by Lorenzo Musetti while Novak Djokovic battles through | Tennis News

Cameron Norrie’s French Open marketing campaign resulted in disappointing style with a
straight-sets loss to Lorenzo Musetti within the third spherical.

It’s the third yr in a row the British No 1 has fallen within the final 32, and he solely managed to mount any actual problem within the third set earlier than happening 6-1 6-2 6-4 in two hours and eight minutes on Court docket Simonne Mathieu.

For me, I can play dangerous and all the things, however I used to be simply very flat and disenchanted to have a efficiency like that.

Cameron Norrie

There may be definitely no shame in shedding to 21-year-old Musetti, who’s ranked solely 5 locations beneath Norrie and whose greatest floor is clay, however the 14th seed shall be disenchanted by the style of what’s one among his worst Grand Slam losses by way of scoreline.

The outcome, in the meantime, brings an finish to British singles hopes at a event the place solely three gamers even made the beginning line.

“I got here out very flat and I am disenchanted with the angle within the first couple of units,” mentioned a really downbeat Norrie.

“It was very, very sluggish circumstances, very heavy, and I used to be not ready for it to be that sluggish. For me, I can play dangerous and all the things, however I used to be simply very flat and disenchanted to have a efficiency like that.

“The primary two units he did not actually do an excessive amount of and he was up two units to like. For a participant like myself, I can not afford to provide that a lot of an edge.

“There is no such thing as a excuses to play the extent that I did immediately. I missed so many straightforward quick balls and I misplaced so many factors inside a few pictures the place often I can win lots of these ones.

“I did not come ready. I used to be altering rackets all through the match. It was a bit colder immediately however I am adequate to not let that trouble me.”

Norrie misplaced to Musetti in Barcelona not too long ago however spoke positively after his second-round victory over Lucas Pouille about what he had realized from that conflict.

He was instantly on the again foot, although, dropping serve within the opening recreation towards the trendy Italian and swiftly shedding the opening set.

The second was no higher, with Musetti too usually discovering a solution to all the things Norrie may throw at him, and the seventeenth seed went a break up early within the third as nicely.

Norrie was observing his worst main loss however he at the least made a fist of it, breaking Musetti, who had misplaced from two units up on each of his earlier appearances at Roland Garros, again and creating three possibilities to interrupt for 5-3.

The Italian held agency, although, and drilled a forehand previous Norrie to interrupt once more earlier than serving out the victory.

Norrie will now head again to London and switch his consideration to the grass-court swing a yr on from his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

“I might say this one hurts greater than others being at a grand slam and desirous to play nicely on the Grand Slams,” he added. “Hopefully it offers me extra gas and prepare for the subsequent Grand Slam, which shall be a great one.”

Djokovic & Alcaraz proceed profitable

Novak Djokovic fought off a terrific problem from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to achieve the fourth spherical for a 14th consecutive yr.

The 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 victory took three hours and 36 minutes, with Djokovic twice a break down within the first set and compelled to avoid wasting a set level within the second.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who once more wore a nanotechnology machine on his chest, regarded unsettled in windy circumstances, whereas he known as the coach earlier than the third set to have his left thigh massaged, however, as he so usually does, he discovered a technique to come out on high.

Requested concerning the medical time-out, Djokovic mentioned: “We do not have a lot time to begin to title the various accidents I’ve, and the checklist is kind of lengthy.

“I nonetheless stored on taking part in. These are the circumstances that you simply, as an expert athlete, need to take care of. Settle for it. Generally you need assistance from (a) physio in the course of the match. Generally you want tablets. Generally you need assistance from the god or angels, or whoever.

“The fact for me these days is that my physique is responding otherwise than it did a number of years in the past. I managed to complete the match.”

Djokovic may meet Carlos Alcaraz within the semi-finals, and the world No 1 had a a lot simpler time in reaching spherical 4, beating Denis Shapovalov 6-1 6-4 6-2.

Alcaraz was a break down within the second set however received 5 video games in a row earlier than cruising by way of the ultimate set.

“I felt nice, I believe I performed an important degree the entire match,” mentioned Alcaraz, who subsequent meets Musetti.

“The second set I used to be in hassle a bit bit, I began to make extra errors however I needed to be right here on a regular basis, to be robust mentally. I knew I used to be going to have my possibilities within the second set to return again and that is what I did. I hope to take this degree into the subsequent spherical.”

It was one other day of lengthy matches, with Italian Lorenzo Sonego combating again from two units right down to defeat seventh seed Andrey Rublev, whereas Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner noticed off Fabio Fognini in 5 units.

After his epic victory over Stan Wawrinka, Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis was concerned in one other prolonged battle with eleventh seed Karen Khachanov however was unable to drive a decider, shedding out 6-4 6-1 3-6 7-6 (7-5).

Russian Khachanov declined to reply questions concerning the warfare in Ukraine afterwards, saying: “I’m a sportsman, I’m not a politician. I do not wish to speak right here about politics as a result of, initially, I’m not good at it. And, second of all, it is not my job.”