Norrie rides tiebreak surge into Monte Carlo 2nd round

Cam Norrie exploded in the concluding tiebreak to wrap up nearly three hours of battle as he defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (0) on Sunday to book the Monte Carlo Masters second round.

The battling Brit had to work for his win on opening day at the Country Club, with momentum shifts a constant throughout.

Norrie served for a straight-set win but was broken in the second set, with his Serb opponent prolonging the showcourt drama by taking the contest into a third set.

Norrie broke for 5-4 in the deciding set but put a return into the net as Kecmanovic held on, saving four break points in the ensuing game before Norrie held from 0-30 to bring on the tiebreaker.

But the Brit wasted no time in closing out the marathon as he dominated with a run to victory without losing a point.

Norrie now owns the series 4-5 and has won the last four matches between the pair of baseline bombers.

The win was Norrie’s first here since reaching the third round in 2019; he was defeated in opening matches from 2022-2005, when he lost in the first round of qualifying.

The Brit ended with 36 each between winners and unforced errors and moved into a second-round clash with fifth seed Alex de Minaur.