French Open: Cameron Norrie knocked out by Lorenzo Musetti whereas Novak Djokovic battles by | Tennis Information

Cameron Norrie’s French Open marketing campaign led to disappointing vogue with a
straight-sets loss to Lorenzo Musetti within the third spherical.

It’s the third 12 months in a row the British No 1 has fallen within the final 32, and he solely managed to mount any actual problem within the third set earlier than happening 6-1 6-2 6-4 in two hours and eight minutes on Courtroom Simonne Mathieu.

For me, I can play dangerous and every little thing, however I used to be simply very flat and disillusioned to have a efficiency like that.

There’s actually no shame in shedding to 21-year-old Musetti, who’s ranked solely 5 locations beneath Norrie and whose finest floor is clay, however the 14th seed can be disillusioned by the style of what’s one in all his worst Grand Slam losses by way of scoreline.

The end result, in the meantime, brings an finish to British singles hopes at a match the place solely three gamers even made the beginning line.

“I got here out very flat and I am disillusioned with the angle within the first couple of units,” mentioned a really downbeat Norrie.

“It was very, very gradual situations, very heavy, and I used to be not ready for it to be that gradual. For me, I can play dangerous and every little thing, however I used to be simply very flat and disillusioned to have a efficiency like that.

“The primary two units he did not actually do an excessive amount of and he was up two units to like. For a participant like myself, I can not afford to provide that a lot of an edge.

“There isn’t any excuses to play the extent that I did at this time. I missed so many straightforward quick balls and I misplaced so many factors inside a few pictures the place often I can win lots of these ones.

“I did not come ready. I used to be altering rackets all through the match. It was a bit colder at this time however I am adequate to not let that hassle me.”

Norrie misplaced to Musetti in Barcelona lately however spoke positively after his second-round victory over Lucas Pouille about what he had discovered from that conflict.

He was instantly on the again foot, although, dropping serve within the opening sport towards the trendy Italian and swiftly shedding the opening set.

The second was no higher, with Musetti too usually discovering a solution to every little thing Norrie may throw at him, and the seventeenth seed went a break up early within the third as properly.

Norrie was observing his worst main loss however he at the very least made a fist of it, breaking Musetti, who had misplaced from two units up on each of his earlier appearances at Roland Garros, again and creating three probabilities to interrupt for 5-3.

The Italian held agency, although, and drilled a forehand previous Norrie to interrupt once more earlier than serving out the victory.

Norrie will now head again to London and switch his consideration to the grass-court swing a 12 months on from his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

“I might say this one hurts greater than others being at a grand slam and eager to play properly on the Grand Slams,” he added. “Hopefully it provides me extra gasoline and prepare for the following Grand Slam, which can be a very good one.”

Djokovic & Alcaraz proceed successful

Novak Djokovic fought off a terrific problem from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to achieve the fourth spherical for a 14th consecutive 12 months.

The 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 victory took three hours and 36 minutes, with Djokovic twice a break down within the first set and compelled to avoid wasting a set level within the second.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who once more wore a nanotechnology gadget on his chest, appeared unsettled in windy situations, whereas he known as the coach earlier than the third set to have his left thigh massaged, however, as he so usually does, he discovered a technique to come out on high.

Requested concerning the medical time-out, Djokovic mentioned: “We do not have a lot time to begin to identify the numerous accidents I’ve, and the listing is kind of lengthy.

“I nonetheless saved on taking part in. These are the circumstances that you just, as an expert athlete, must cope with. Settle for it. Typically you need assistance from (a) physio throughout the match. Typically you want capsules. Typically you need assistance from the god or angels, or whoever.

“The fact for me these days is that my physique is responding in a different way than it did a couple of years in the past. I managed to complete the match.”

Djokovic may meet Carlos Alcaraz within the semi-finals, and the world No 1 had a a lot simpler time in reaching spherical 4, beating Denis Shapovalov 6-1 6-4 6-2.

Alcaraz was a break down within the second set however gained 5 video games in a row earlier than cruising by the ultimate set.

“I felt nice, I believe I performed an ideal stage the entire match,” mentioned Alcaraz, who subsequent meets Musetti.

“The second set I used to be in hassle somewhat bit, I began to make extra errors however I needed to be right here on a regular basis, to be robust mentally. I knew I used to be going to have my probabilities within the second set to return again and that is what I did. I hope to take this stage into the following spherical.”

It was one other day of lengthy matches, with Italian Lorenzo Sonego preventing again from two units right down to defeat seventh seed Andrey Rublev, whereas Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner noticed off Fabio Fognini in 5 units.

After his epic victory over Stan Wawrinka, Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis was concerned in one other prolonged battle with eleventh seed Karen Khachanov however was unable to drive a decider, shedding out 6-4 6-1 3-6 7-6 (7-5).

Russian Khachanov declined to reply questions concerning the conflict in Ukraine afterwards, saying: “I’m a sportsman, I’m not a politician. I do not wish to discuss right here about politics as a result of, to begin with, I’m not good at it. And, second of all, it is not my job.”