Battling Norrie survives match point to oust de Minaur at Montreal
Montreal Upset Continues as Norrie Overcomes de Minaur
Bharatmorningnews.com – Cameron Norrie added another chapter to the dramatic story unfolding at the ATP Montreal Masters on Thursday, overcoming a match point to defeat Alex de Minaur in three sets. The British player secured victory with a scoreline of 5-7, 7-6, 6-1 after nearly three hours of intense competition.
The resilient winner found himself behind by a set and facing a double break deficit against the Australian third seed. De Minaur ultimately faltered in the closing stages of what proved to be an extraordinary contest. The Australian, who stood as the highest remaining seed in a weakened field, missed an opportunity to claim victory in straight sets when he held a match point in the eighth game of the second set.
Tournament Chaos Deepens
This hardcourt preparation for the US Open has witnessed numerous high-profile departures. Top seed Alexander Zverev exited earlier than expected, while Canadian second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew due to injury. Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev also suffered a defeat. Additionally, world number one Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic have already been ruled out of the competition.
With these absences, fifth-seeded defending champion Ben Shelton now emerges as the player to surpass as the tournament advances to the fourth round.
Norrie Reflects on Victory
“It was a great match to win and test my level,” said the 2021 Masters champion at Indian Wells. “I can take so much confidence from this one.”
“The level was so high in the first set. He came out firing and I had to match it. Alex stayed tough and stole the first set but took his foot off the gas just slightly in the second.”
“I just battled point for point and managed to come out 6-1 in the third set. I was fortunate and I’ll take it.”
De Minaur, who reached the final in Canada three years ago before falling to Sinner, started strongly by taking a 4-1 lead in the opening set. He won six of seven games to claim the opener before Norrie began his comeback in the second set. The British player leveled with a tiebreaker victory and then dominated the third set. Norrie secured his match point exactly 62 minutes after de Minaur had blown his opportunity to win the second set.
Next Round Matchups Take Shape
Norrie is set to face Arthur Fils in the following round. The Frenchman advanced after defeating Mariano Navone with scores of 6-3, 6-2, marking a significant return to form for the player who missed extensive playing time over the past year and into February.
“I couldn’t put in a serve during warm-up,” the 24th-ranked winner said. “But I found my rhythm during the match and hit some good spots.”
“I try to do my best every day,” Fils said. “It has been a tough time for me, I was injured a lot. But I enjoy being back on the big stage it means a lot. Still, no pressure.”
Navone, ranked 44th, suffered his 22nd career loss against a top-30 opponent. Fils advanced on his second match point, overcoming 30 unforced errors through strong serving that included four aces and four breaks of Navone’s serve. This marks Fils’ fourth appearance in a Masters 1000 round of 16 this season, following his 25th victory of 2026.
With no top five players remaining in the depleted draw, opportunities are emerging for the survivors in French-speaking Canada.
Elsewhere, Italian Luciano Darderi completed a comeback against China’s Shang Juncheng with a score of 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, securing his 30th win of the season. Darderi will now face Nuno Borges, who defeated German Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 6-2 to advance.
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