Zverev wins 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach fourth round
Grit, discipline and spirit not enough for Norrie
Cameron Norrie did what he could. Rather than easing into a long best of five sets match, he played at full throttle from the beginning by launching into forehands and forcing himself inside the baseline at all cost. He worked through every shot in his arsenal, frequently sweeping forward to the net. He punctuated each small victory with booming cries of “Allez”.
In tennis, however, match-ups are king and the past meetings between Norrie and Alexander Zverev have already illustrated how the German’s game is built to outlast and overpower Norrie. This seventh meeting between them ended no differently as Zverev, the third seed, secured a tough 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over the 26th seed Norrie to advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Despite the defeat, Norrie departs Australia with another solid grand slam showing. He has enjoyed some of his best form at the elite tournaments over the past year, winning every match he has entered the court as favourite. He has been defeated by top players in each of the four majors, with Carlos Alcaraz defeating him at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic at the French Open and US Open, and now Zverev in Melbourne. For all his grit, discipline and spirit he showcases every time he steps on the court, Norrie has simply lacked the weapons to consistently trouble the top players over the best of five set matches.
