Cameron Norrie produced the finest victory of his career as he came from a set down to beat world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Masters.
Although Norrie had previously defeated Alcaraz twice, this was his first win over a reigning world No 1, making him only the fifth British man to achieve the feat. 'Massive. So big for me,' said Norrie. 'Coming back from injury last year, I lost in the first round of qualies here. I just tried to enjoy my tennis in the second half of the year. To get a win like this, it's the biggest win of my career.'
The 30-year-old, ranked 31st, ended Alcaraz's remarkable sequences of nine consecutive finals and 17 straight Masters 1000 wins. After dropping the opening set, Norrie raised his serving precision and dragged the Spaniard into lengthy physical rallies, with his shot tolerance proving decisive.
Alcaraz, 22, struggled notably with his timing off the ground, especially on his forehand, committing 29 forehand unforced errors and 54 unforced errors in total. Norrie, meanwhile, offered few mistakes, maintaining consistency and depth while attacking at opportune moments, and held his composure in the closing games to see out the victory.
Norrie's win is further evidence of his recovery from a significant left forearm injury that saw him drop to as low as 91st in the rankings this year. Having reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals and the French Open fourth round, he continues his push towards returning to the top 20. Alcaraz, for all his success, remains without a convincing answer to indoor conditions.
