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, pulverising forehands and forcing himself inside the baseline at all costs. 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 past battles between Norrie and Alexander Zverev had already illustrated how the German’s game is built to outlast and overpower his British opponent. Their seventh meeting produced one of their most high quality matches but the result was no different 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.
Norrie, the last British singles player in the tournament, departs Australia with another solid grand slam showing despite his defeat. He has enjoyed a successful 12 months at the top tournaments, winning every match he has been expected to win. Only the best players in the world have been able to defeat him in the past 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 lacks the firepower to consistently beat the top names.
