Cameron Norrie, the second-highest ranked British male tennis player, has been eliminated from the Cincinnati Open after a second-round defeat against the experienced Roberto Bautista Agut.
Norrie had previously overcome the world number 53 in a four-set match at Wimbledon, a victory that propelled him into the quarter-finals of the prestigious tournament.
Seeded 32nd in the Ohio competition, Norrie received a bye in the first round before facing the 37-year-old Spaniard. However, as temperatures exceeded 30C, he appeared to struggle with the heat, ultimately losing 6-4 6-3.
Norrie’s most recent appearance was at the Canadian Open, where he was defeated by Aleksandar Vukic, the world number 99, in the second round.
He continued his preparations for the US Open in Cincinnati, where Bautista Agut successfully maintained his serve after three protracted games, while also managing to break Norrie’s serve in the fourth game.
While serving at 5-2 down, Norrie was noticeably covered in perspiration and opted to change his shirt before deuce, subsequently fending off two set points.
The 29-year-old then managed to break back, reducing the score to 5-4, capitalizing on his sixth break point. However, he then served a double fault in the subsequent game, allowing Bautista Agut to secure the first set.
Norrie continued to appear unwell throughout the second set but remained competitive, saving five match points to narrow the score to 5-3, despite serving three double faults.
But Bautista Agut, who was participating in only his second match since Wimbledon, made no errors on his second match point in the following game.
Following Montreal, this marks the second consecutive tournament where Norrie has been eliminated at his first hurdle, and he has suffered defeat in three of his five matches since his impressive run at SW19 was brought to an end by Carlos Alcaraz, the world number two.
