Cameron Norrie completes comeback over Alex de Minaur at Montreal Masters

[p]The battling British winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/de-minaur-a-EZgZ9Xfh/norrie-c-pvzhJGY8/?mid=UucVXpLl"]trailed a set and a double break[/a] against the Australian third seed, who folded in the final set of an epic lasting for almost three hours.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-minaur-alex/EZgZ9Xfh/"]De Minaur[/a], who had been the highest remaining seed in a depleted draw, could have closed it out in straight sets with a match point chance in the eighth game of the second set.[/p][p]The tournament had already seen an early exit from top seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Alexander Zverev[/a], an injury pullout from Canadian second seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/auger-aliassime-felix/CzXh4LAb/"]Felix Auger-Aliassime[/a] and a loss by fourth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Daniil Medvedev[/a].[/p][p]The US Open tuneup hardcourt event had already been hit by the absences of world number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a] and 24-time Grand Slam singles champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a].[/p][p]The result leaves fifth-seeded holder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Ben Shelton[/a] as the new man to beat going into the fourth round.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norrie-cameron/pvzhJGY8/"]Norrie[/a] said he had to win a struggle.[/p][p]"[b]It was a great match to win and test my level[/b]," said the 2021 Masters champion at Indian Wells. "[b]I can take so much confidence from this one.[/b][/p][p]"[b]The level was so high in the first set. He came out firing and I had to match it. Alex stayed tough and stole the first set but took his foot off the gas just slightly in the second.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I just battled point for point and managed to come out 6-1 in the third set. I was fortunate and I'll take (the win).[/b]"[/p][embed guid="4e1579f3-9c22-4fdc-b1f6-dec45bc506cf" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2085494852205126006?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]De Minaur, losing finalist in Canada three years ago to Sinner, seized a 4-1 first-set lead to take the opener, winning six of seven games.[/p][p]Norrie began turning the tide in the second set, levelling with a winning tiebreaker before running away with it in the third. He earned his match point 62 minutes after de Minaur blew his second-set winning chance.[/p][p]"[b]I was in a good position,[/b]" de Minaur said. "[b]It's tennis. As we've seen, anything can happen. It's not the easiest of conditions out here.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I gave myself chances early in the third set, and then I just played some bad points in a row and then got behind.[/b][/p][p]"[b]It all just went very quickly.[/b]"[/p][p]Norrie will next play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arthur-fils/IoIhUqIN/"]Arthur Fils[/a] after the Frenchman defeated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/navone-mariano/YoPUeL3o/"]Mariano Navone[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/arthur-f-IoIhUqIN/navone-m-YoPUeL3o/?mid=40hkXAnT"]6-3, 6-2[/a], staking his claim for a comeback effort after missing months of play from a year ago and extending to February.[/p][p]The 44th-ranked Argentine Navone lost his 22nd career match against a top-30 opponent. Fils advanced on his second match point, winning as he overcame 30 unforced errors with a solid serving performance which included four aces and four breaks of the Navone serve.[/p][p]"[b]I couldn't put in a serve during warm-up,[/b]" the 24th-ranked winner said. "[b]But I found my rhythm during the match and hit some good spots.[/b]"[/p][h2]'I enjoy being back'[/h2][p]With no top five players left in the depleted draw, the path is opening for the survivors in French-speaking Canada.[/p][p]"[b]I try to do my best every day,[/b]" Fils said. "[b]It has been a tough time for me, I was injured a lot. But I enjoy being back on the big stage - it means a lot. Still, no pressure.[/b]"[/p][p]Fils will play a Masters 1000 round of 16 for the fourth time this season after winning his 25th match of 2026.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/darderi-luciano/jeXTxMIp/"]Luciano Darderi[/a] defeated China's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shang-juncheng/tvjTgE3J/"]Shang Juncheng[/a] in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/darderi-l-jeXTxMIp/shang-j-tvjTgE3J/?mid=SvamtDUH"]4-6, 6-1, 6-4[/a] comeback effort, his 30th victory of the season.[/p][p]The Italian plays for the quarter-finals as he takes on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/borges-nuno/hzbEPIOa/"]Nuno Borges[/a] after the Portuguese defeated German [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hanfmann-yannick/zLJYYbhm/"]Yannick Hanfmann[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/borges-n-hzbEPIOa/hanfmann-y-zLJYYbhm/?mid=YgFgRshJ"]6-4, 6-2[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lehecka-jiri/6PlgfXKR/"]Jiri Lehecka[/a], at eighth the highest seed remaining after Shelton, stayed alive with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/blockx-a-xll0TzGG/lehecka-j-6PlgfXKR/?mid=U1pOFXAE"]6-3, 6-4[/a] win over Belgian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blockx-alexander/xll0TzGG/"]Alexander Blockx[/a].[/p][p]He will next face Spanish teen [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jodar-rafael/OdngshVK/"]Rafael Jodar[/a], the Washington runner-up who beat 13th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musetti-lorenzo/xtH2ODVI/"]Lorenzo Musetti[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/jodar-r-OdngshVK/musetti-l-xtH2ODVI/?mid=S2B6ETB6"]6-4, 6-3.[/a][/p][p]"[b]I did a great job on returns and generally played very solid," Jodar said. "I'm super happy with the performance.[/b]"[/p]