Britain’s Cameron Norrie sealed a formidable 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 victory over former champion Andrey Rublev in his opening match on the Erste Financial institution Open in Vienna.
Norrie recorded his fourth win towards top-20 opponents in 2025 with Rublev struggling his fifth consecutive loss in addition to a mid-match meltdown – only a day after his twenty eighth birthday.
British No 2 Norrie made a lightning begin, breaking his opponent twice within the opening 5 video games, when the seventh seed finally misplaced his mood and repeatedly smashed his racket on court docket.
“The signature racket break from Andrey Rublev. Not the first time he’s destroyed a bat. He’s given that one the full monty,” stated commentator Robbie Koenig.
Rublev was hit with a code violation by the umpire and went on to drop the primary set earlier than profitable a tense second-set tie-break to pressure a decider.
However it was Norrie who upped the tempo and ran away with the third set, securing a formidable win and a spot within the second spherical of the ATP 500 occasion.
Jacob Fearnley takes on Alexander Zverev in a while Tuesday night within the Austrian capital – dwell on Sky Sports activities Tennis.
Sinner skipping Davis Cup to concentrate on Australian Open preparations
Jannik Sinner stated it was a troublesome determination to overlook this 12 months’s Davis Cup Finals on residence soil however the world No 2 felt that he needed to prioritise preparations for his Australian Open title defence.
The 24-year-old, who gained at Melbourne Park and Wimbledon this 12 months, was instrumental in Italy’s profitable Davis Cup defence in 2024 in Spain however stated he was sitting out the event set to happen in Bologna from November 18-23.
He will probably be in Turin per week earlier than the Davis Cup to defend his ATP Finals title, the place world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz has additionally secured his place within the season-ending championship.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but after Turin, the goal is to get off on the right foot in Australia,” Sinner instructed Sky Sport Italy. “It may not seem like it, but a week of preparation during that period can make all the difference.
“We gained the Davis Cup in 2023 and 2024, and this time we determined this with my crew.”
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Highlights as Sinner defeated Learner Tien to win the China Open
Subsequent 12 months’s Australian Open, the opening Grand Slam of the season, runs from January 12-26.
Sinner beat Alcaraz to win the profitable Six Kings Slam exhibition occasion in Riyadh on Saturday and can subsequent be in motion in Vienna, which he gained in 2023.
“We are working hard on my serve. I am fortunate to be able to work continuously with the best team possible,” he stated. “I now have some very important tournaments coming up, in Vienna, Paris and Turin.”
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