Cameron Norrie battles back to beat Egor Gerasimov and reach Barcelona Open last 16 ahead of French Open

ByDan Quarrell

Published 19/04/2022 at 21:35 GMT

British No. 1 Cameron Norrie showed his characteristic grit and determination as he recovered to overcome Egor Gerasimov in the second round of the Barcelona Open. Norrie will next take on either Hungary's Marton Fucsovics or Argentina's Federico Delbonis in the last 16 of the clay-court tournament as he ramps up his preparations for the French Open.

Cameron Norrie battled back from a set down to claim a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win over Egor Gerasimov and secure his place in the last 16 of the Barcelona Open on Tuesday.

After losing out on an edgy opening set that could have gone either way from 5-5, Norrie was as doughty as ever as he staged an impressive recovery on the red dirt.

A crucial break of serve followed for the 26-year-old as he began to gain some control in the match, but he then slipped 3-1 down in the deciding set.

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It was never convincing for the world No. 10, but he was able to force his way back into the match and eventually take the decider 6-4 against the Belarusian.

The Brit will next take on Hungary's Marton Fucsovics to attempt to grab a place in the quarter-finals.

Norrie was knocked out of the Monte Carlo Masters last week at the same stage as he lost 6-4 2-6 6-4 to Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round.

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Norrie rose to prominence in Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against Spain in 2018 when he beat Roberto Bautista Agut and has enjoyed a remarkable rise up the rankings ever since.

He broke into the top 10 in the ATP rankings for the first time earlier this month having made headlines as he became the first British man to claim the Indian Wells Masters title in stunning fashion late last year.

"What an incredible week" - Norrie becomes first British man to win at Indian Wells

The day was not entirely rosy for British tennis, however, as Dan Evans lost his second-round match to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti, 6-4 7-6.

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