Cameron Norrie breezed into the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open with an impressive straight-sets victory over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, winning 6-4, 6-3 in just one hour and 24 minutes.
This decisive win marks Norrie’s 200th tour-level victory, showcasing his growing prowess on the ATP circuit. The British number one will now face Argentina’s 14th seed, Tomas Etcheverry, in the next round.
Reflecting on his win, Norrie told Sky Sports, “While the score might suggest it was an easy match, there were certainly some challenging points. I was particularly pleased with how I handled the pressure when serving for the first set. My movement felt good, and I was happy with my overall footwork.”
In other matches, Etcheverry mounted a comeback from a set down to defeat Brandon Nakashima of the United States, securing his spot in the quarter-finals with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory.
Australian fourth seed Alex de Minaur, who recently halted Rafael Nadal’s injury comeback, suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Arthur Fils, losing 7-6, 6-2. Fils, currently ranked 36th in the world, will face unseeded Serb Dusan Lajovic in the next round.
Norwegian third seed Casper Ruud displayed a dominant performance with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Australia’s Jordan Thompson. He will next face Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena with a 7-5, 6-3 victory. He is set to take on Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta in his next match.
Credit: BBC.com
