Djokovic ends Norrie's run to advance in Paris

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live power commentaries crossed 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Novak Djokovic ended Cameron Norrie's encouraging French Open tally pinch a straight-set triumph complete nan Briton to scope nan quarter-finals.

Djokovic, bidding for a standalone grounds 25th Grand Slam singles title, hit Norrie 6-2 6-3 6-2.

Norrie, playing successful nan past 16 astatine Roland Garros for nan first time, was looking for different scalp successful Paris aft stunning 11th seed Daniil Medvedev successful nan first round.

However, nan world number 81 ne'er earnestly looked for illustration causing an upset against nan 38-year-old great.

If Norrie had taken his chances - peculiarly successful a 2nd group wherever he led by a break - it would person applied much unit connected nan Serb.

"I was a small spot level successful immoderate moments and I deliberation that was nan difference," said Norrie.

"I don't spot excessively overmuch improvement pinch Novak - he's still not missing tennis balls."

Sixth seed Djokovic will look 3rd seed Alexander Zverev adjacent - having mislaid to nan German successful January's Australian Open semi-finals aft suffering a hamstring injury.

Jack Draper's nonaccomplishment successful four sets to Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik later connected Monday ended British liking successful nan singles successful Paris.

Coming into nan French Open, Norrie said he had been playing immoderate of his champion tennis, describing his level arsenic akin to erstwhile he was a top-10 subordinate backmost successful 2022.

It raised eyebrows - but he proved to beryllium right.

A memorable five-set triumph complete erstwhile world number 1 Medvedev group nan tone, followed by victories against Argentine qualifier Federico Gomez and chap Scot Jacob Fearnley, who replaced him arsenic British number 2 earlier this year.

Facing Djokovic was a different proposition.

Norrie had mislaid each 5 of his erstwhile meetings pinch nan three-time French Open champion, including a three-set conclusion successful nan Geneva Open 10 days ago.

He was quickly outmanoeuvred successful nan first group and, aft Djokovic needed aesculapian curen connected ft blisters, nan British number 3 could not support an early break successful nan second.

Crucially, Norrie could not person much chances, pinch Djokovic redeeming break points successful lengthy work games astatine 2-2 and 3-3.

The erstwhile world number 1 past raced distant pinch nan last set, breaking early and reeling disconnected 5 games successful a statement earlier serving retired victory.

Despite not being capable to extremity his miserable tally against Djokovic, Norrie said it has been "a really enjoyable" clay-court swing.

Earlier this twelvemonth he had been successful threat of tumbling retired of nan world's apical 100 aft a difficult mates of years struggling for shape and fitness.

But a reinvigorated Norrie will now move backmost into nan apical 60 erstwhile he starts nan grass-court play backmost successful nan UK.

"I played 20 clay-court matches, and for maine that's huge," he said.

"The measurement for maine to return assurance is playing and past really getting done immoderate reliable matches."