Cameron Norrie Rallies to Beat Carballes Baena in Metz

Cameron Norrie secured his first ATP Tour victory since July by defeating Roberto Carballes Baena at the Moselle Open in Metz. The British number two made a remarkable comeback after trailing a set and a break to win the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. This victory marks Norrie’s first since he beat Jozef Kovalik in the first round of the Swedish Open nearly four months ago.

Norrie missed several tournaments this summer, including the Olympics and the US Open due to a forearm injury but he returned to competition last month. Reflecting on his comeback win, the 29-year-old expressed satisfaction, stating, “I was happy with the way I turned it around, and it’s nice to get a win.” Currently ranked 57th in the world, Norrie will face Bulgarian third seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round on Wednesday.

In other matches at the Moselle Open, Norway’s Casper Ruud and top seed Andrey Rublev from Russia also compete, both vying for spots in the season-ending ATP Finals starting Sunday in Turin. With three places available for the finals, several players battle fiercely for qualification. Currently, Novak Djokovic holds the sixth rank, Ruud stands seventh, Alex de Minaur sits eighth and Rublev is ninth.

Djokovic withdrew from this week’s tournament after opting out of the Paris Masters last week while De Minaur competes as the top seed at the Serbia Open. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will focus on Cameron Norrie’s next match against Dimitrov as he looks to build on this crucial win and regain his form on the ATP Tour.