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

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

It’s the third 12 months 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 pieces, however I used to be simply very flat and upset to have a efficiency like that.

There may be actually no shame in shedding to 21-year-old Musetti, who’s ranked solely 5 locations under Norrie and whose finest floor is clay, however the 14th seed will likely be upset by the way of what’s considered one of his worst Grand Slam losses when it comes to scoreline.

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

“I got here out very flat and I am upset with the perspective within the first couple of units,” stated 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 pieces, however I used to be simply very flat and upset 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 am unable to afford to offer that a lot of an edge.

“There isn’t a excuses to play the extent that I did at the moment. I missed so many straightforward brief balls and I misplaced so many factors inside a few photographs the place often I can win a variety of these ones.

“I did not come ready. I used to be altering rackets all through the match. It was a bit colder at the moment however I am adequate to not let that hassle 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 sport towards the trendy Italian and swiftly shedding the opening set.

The second was no higher, with Musetti too typically discovering a solution to all the pieces Norrie might throw at him, and the seventeenth seed went a break up early within the third as effectively.

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 12 months on from his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

“I might say this one hurts greater than others being at a grand slam and eager to play effectively on the Grand Slams,” he added. “Hopefully it offers me extra gasoline and prepare for the following Grand Slam, which will likely be a very good one.”

Djokovic & Alcaraz proceed successful

Novak Djokovic fought off a terrific problem from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to achieve the fourth spherical for a 14th consecutive 12 months.

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 save lots of a set level within the second.

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

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

“I nonetheless saved on taking part in. These are the circumstances that you just, as knowledgeable athlete, need to take care of. Settle for it. Generally you need assistance from (a) physio throughout the match. Generally you want capsules. 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 couple of years in the past. I managed to complete the match.”

Djokovic might 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 the ultimate set.

“I felt nice, I feel I performed an excellent stage the entire match,” stated Alcaraz, who subsequent meets Musetti.

“The second set I used to be in bother a bit of 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 come back again and that is what I did. I hope to take this stage into the following 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 power 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 isn’t my job.”