Russian Underdog Stuns British Number One at French Open
On a day of British disappointment at the French Open, world number 57 Pavel Kotov of Russia delivered a stunning five-set victory over British number one Cameron Norrie. The 32nd-seeded Norrie, who had reached the quarter-finals of Indian Wells in March, was unable to overcome the challenge posed by his Russian opponent, ultimately succumbing to a 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 defeat.
“This first-round loss marks the first time Norrie has faltered in the opening round of a Grand Slam since the 2022 Australian Open.”
Norrie joins fellow Britons Andy Murray and Jack Draper, who were earlier beaten on day one of the tournament. Harriet Dart, Katie Boulter, and Dan Evans remain the last three British singles players standing.
Norrie’s build-up to Roland Garros had been a challenging one, with the 28-year-old losing five of his previous 10 matches after his Indian Wells success. The opening set saw Norrie initially trail 4-1 before rallying to take a 1-0 lead, but Kotov fought back to level the match. The third set went Norrie’s way, but the fourth set tie-break ultimately went the way of Kotov, setting up a decisive fifth set.
Kotov Cruises into Second Round
In the final set, Kotov seized the initiative, breaking Norrie’s serve twice to cruise into the second round, where he will face 2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka, who had earlier defeated Andy Murray in straight sets.
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