Novak Djokovic
NOVAK DJOKOVIC ended Cameron Norrie’s impressive French Open campaign on Monday with a dominant straight-sets win, securing his place in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
The 38-year-old Serb, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, outclassed the British number three 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in just over two hours. Despite a spirited effort, Norrie was unable to convert key opportunities, particularly in a second set where he held a brief lead.
Norrie, ranked 81st in the world, was making his debut in the last 16 of the French Open and had already turned heads in Paris with a stunning five-set win over 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in the first round. Victories over Federico Gomez and fellow Brit Jacob Fearnley followed, reinforcing Norrie’s belief that he was returning to his top-10 level form from 2022.
However, Djokovic—who had beaten Norrie in all five of their previous meetings—proved too strong once again. Even after receiving treatment for foot blisters, the sixth seed remained composed, saving multiple break points in the second set before pulling away with a five-game streak in the third.
Djokovic will next face third seed Alexander Zverev in a highly anticipated quarter-final. The German defeated the Serb in their most recent meeting at the Australian Open semi-finals earlier this year.
With Jack Draper losing later in the day to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, British hopes in the singles draw have now ended. Still, Norrie’s resurgence on clay will see him return to the world’s top 60 heading into the grass-court season.