Cameron Norrie made it through to the last 16 of the Madrid Open by beating John Isner in three sets.
Norrie’s win signalled a high-water mark for British men’s tennis as a whole too as – after wins for Andy Murray and Dan Evans – it’s the first time that three British men have ever made it to the last 16 of an ATP Masters event.
Norrie’s performance against the big-serving Isner was impressive, breaking three times and fully deserving his 6-4 6-7 6-4 victory, and his reward will be an encounter with Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz.
After a break each in the early stages, Norrie struck at 5-4 ahead to take the first set and put himself in the ascendancy over his American opponent.
The second set was nip and tuck the whole way, with Isner eventually landing it on a tie-break after the Briton had squandered two break points at 2-2.
But Norrie wasn’t to be denied, keeping his composure and outlasting his 37-year-old adversary by getting the crucial break at 3-2 and holding his own serve from there on in.
Evans’ win over Roberto Bautista Agut was no less enthralling, the 31-year-old prevailing on a final-set tie-break having seen his opponent serve for the match.
Evans took the first set before Bautista Agut levelled up to look on the verge of victory, but Evans showed all his own fighting qualities to break the Spaniard back, eventually prevailing 6-3 5-7 7-6 in just under three hours at the Caja Magica.
Whether that leaves enough in the tank to overcome Andrey Rublev – Evans’ last-16 opponent – on Thursday remains to be seen, but it was arguably the Briton’s best win of a difficult season so far, and improves his chances of being seeded for the next two Grand Slams at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon.
The match had got off to an even start and it took until the seventh game for a momentum swing, with Evans breaking Bautista Agut to go 4-3 ahead, and taking the next two games from there.
The second set followed a similar pattern but this time it was the home hope who found the edge late on in the set, breaking to lead 6-5 and then serving it out.
Then came the thrilling, see-saw denouement which saw the Spanish world No. 19 look odds-on favourite at 5-3 ahead, but back came Evans to take it to the tie-break.
And it was Evans who powered on to the finish, winning five straight points from 2-2 to take it 7-2.
Evans admitted to Amazon Prime afterwards that he could barely believe he had won through, and he will have been especially delighted with the way he served in the Madrid sunshine, firing nine aces to his opponent’s one, and recording a win percentage on his first serve of 80%.
