Cameron Norrie edged past Tomas Machac in a dramatic three-set encounter to reach the third round of the Madrid Open, while Katie Boulter was beaten by fifth seed Jessica Pegula on Friday.
Norrie dominated the opening set 6-2 but squandered a match point in the second as Machac forced a decider, taking the set in a close tiebreak 7-6 (8-6). In the final set Norrie found himself a break down and trailing 5-3, yet he produced a vital break when Machac was serving for the match and ultimately prevailed in a tense tiebreak 7-6 (7-5) to complete a 6-2 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-5) victory. The 30-year-old called it one of the most memorable matches of his career, praising the atmosphere and the test it provided.
Up next for Norrie is either Thiago Agustin Tirante, who upset 15th seed Tommy Paul, or another late substitute depending on the draw. Norrie, fresh from a run to the Barcelona quarter-finals last week, has never gone beyond the third round in Madrid.
Boulter could not join him in round three, losing 6-4 6-4 to Pegula. The 29-year-old followed her fiancé Alex de Minaur onto court after his own defeat by Spanish youngster Rafael Jodar, leaving the couple with back-to-back losses on the day.
Other notable results saw world No.1 Jannik Sinner recover from a set down to defeat France’s Benjamin Bonzi 6-7 (6-8) 6-1 6-4, extending his winning streak to 18 matches after titles at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina fought back from an opening-set loss to beat Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse 4-6 6-3 7-5, and Coco Gauff cruised into the third round with a commanding 6-3 6-0 win over Leolia Jeanjean.