Cameron Norrie was no match for Matte Berrettini at Melbourne Park, falling to a four set defeat against the Italian powerhouse despite winning the opening set
Cameron Norrie revealed he struggled with illness during a first-round loss to Matteo Berrettini at the Australian Open.
It was a tough draw for the British No.2, with Berrettini a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park three years ago and heading back up the rankings following injury troubles. The Italian hammered down 32 aces and recovered from a set down to claim a 6-7 (4) 6-4 6-1 6-3 victory.
Norrie, who will drop outside the top 60 having reached the fourth round last year, rued the timing, saying: “I haven’t been able to prepare as well as I could.
“I’ve been pretty sick in Auckland (last week), then coming here. Just barely practised. Honestly, I’ve been feeling the ball so well. Pre-season was excellent. It was a bit unfortunate with the timing.
“I definitely gave myself the best chance. Just hit the wall after an hour and a bit. I was not able to stay sharp on the court. It’s a bit disappointing. Most importantly, just get my health back to 100 per cent, get some rest.”
Norrie saved a set point at 5-6 in the opener before staging a fine comeback in the tie-break, winning six points in a row from 4-1 down.
But from there the pressure on his serve told, Berrettini taking five of 13 break points across the final three sets, while Norrie was unable to convert any of his five chances in the match.
The 29-year-old missed a big chunk of last season with a forearm injury, but believes he can push back up the rankings during 2025.
“I think it’s a good challenge,” he said. “I don’t see any reason why not. I’m very focused on getting back there. I think I’ve just got to stay patient. I believe I can do it. For sure I just need to get the health back to 100 per cent and go again.”
