Jack Draper will be the new British number one on Monday thanks to Cameron Norrie's shock loss at the ATP Challenger tournament in Nottingham.
For much of the past few years, Norrie has been the British number one on the ATP Tour. He is a very consistent performer on all surfaces, making a few deep runs in recent years and even winning Indian Wells once.
Two years ago, Norrie was in the Top 10, peaking at number 8 in the world. Things are very different right now as the Brit is not in the Top 10; in fact, he's not even close to the Top 10.
His level has not been there for a while, and his ranking naturally suffered because of it. Even returning to native soil and playing on grass doesn't seem to help, as he was beaten by world number 773, Jack Pinnington Jones, in Nottingham.
It was a shocking loss for the Brit, who once won a set 6-2 against Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon semi-final. His opponent never came close to any remotely similar achievement in his career, as his ranking suggests, and looked very out of sorts in the opening set, which Norrie won 6-1.
However, he never gave up and won the match in three sets, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. Norrie's loss ensures that Draper will be the new British number one, as he's set to overtake fellow Brit on Monday.
Draper is currently projected to rise at least to number 35, which would match his career high, and he can still improve, as he's competing at the Stuttgart Open, while Norrie will be 38th at best, and he can still drop.
The two will be separated by at least 21 points, and Draper has a chance to increase that lead in the German city. It's a big moment for Draper, who has been widely considered the biggest male talent in the United Kingdom since Andy Murray.
He's looked pretty strong at times so far but has dealt with many injuries that have held him back. He's back to playing this week, and he's playing well in Stuttgart, a run that will ultimately allow him to overtake Norrie as the new British number one.
0 Comments