Cameron Norrie delivered one of the most dramatic comebacks of his season on Wednesday, saving a match point to defeat Australian third seed Alex de Minaur 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 at the Canadian Open in Montreal.
The British veteran looked in serious trouble after dropping the first set and falling 5-2 behind in the second. De Minaur, playing with the authority of a top-ten player, had a match point on his own serve but gifted Norrie a lifeline with a double fault. The Australian twice tried to serve out the match, and at 5-4 up, he double-faulted again to level the set. That moment proved pivotal.
Norrie seized control in the tiebreak, winning it 7-5, and then completely dominated the deciding set to close out a remarkable 6-1 victory in the third. Speaking afterward, the 30-year-old was clearly energized by the result, saying it was a great match to win and that he could take enormous confidence from the performance. He acknowledged that de Minaur came out firing from the very first ball, forcing him to raise his own level to match it.
The win continues an impressive run of form for Norrie, who has now won six of his last seven matches, including a semi-final appearance at Los Cabos the previous week. He will next face France's Arthur Fils for a place in the quarter-finals.
De Minaur's exit has left fifth seed Ben Shelton as the only remaining top-ten men's player in the draw, following early losses and withdrawals from Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, and Flavio Cobolli.
TennisDraw users backing de Minaur deep into the bracket will need to rethink their picks after this stunning upset.
