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Cameron Norrie Indian Wells ATP 2021
ATP Tennis Players, British Tennis Players, Tennis News

‘I couldn’t be more thrilled for him!’ – Former US Open finalist ecstatic at Cameron Norrie triumph


Cameron Norrie has received a ringing endorsement from former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski after he became the first British man to win Indian Wells.

The 26-year-old rallied from a set down against Nikoloz Basilashvili to cap an incredible week and claim the biggest title of his career.

Before 2021, Norrie had not yet claimed an ATP crown, having lost in his only final appearance. This season, the Brit has reached six more finals, claiming two titles in Los Cabos and now Indian Wells.

One man who was immensely impressed with the result was former British number one Greg Rusedski. He himself reached the final back in 1998, becoming the first British man to do so. He lost out that day to world number seven Marcelo Rios.

“What an incredible performance,” Rusedski said of Norrie in the final. “He was down and out for a set and half but found a way to turn it around.

“It’s great to finally see a British player win this title in Indian Wells. What a moment. I couldn’t be more thrilled for him, he’s such a pro.

“It was the 5-4 game in the second set when everything turned around. He played two of the best points and went from strength to strength. In the final set Basilashvili made all of the unforced errors. Cam [Norrie] refused to miss and definitely deserves this title.”

To open that 5-4 game, Norrie moved Basilashvili round forward and back, left and right round the court before putting away a delicate volley winner at the net. In the next point, a strong one-two serve out wide and approach from Basilashvili looked adequate, but Norrie knifed an excellent passing backhand winner to go 0-30 up.

Norrie went on to break to love before closing out the decider 6-1 to capture the trophy, sealing the biggest win of his career.

“It’s incredible to think what just happened,” Rusedski added. “We were all wondering what would happen when Andy Murray finished, but we could have a top-10 player by the end of the season and then you have (Emma) Raducanu winning the US Open.

“It doesn’t get much better than this,” he concluded.


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