Cameron Norrie has recorded yet another high-profile win as he stunned the sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev at the 2023 Indian Wells.
The two previously met three times with two of the meetings taking place on American soil. Twice Rublev emerged victorious, but this time, Norrie was entering the match with much better form as he had a win over world no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz under his belt.
From the outset, Norrie was in the driver's seat, dictating the pace of the match. The Brit maintained composure under pressure and utilized his break points in the opening games of the first set despite playing a hard-hitting opponent.
Norrie consistently kept Rublev off balance with his varied shot selection and astute court placement while Rublev battled to find his rhythm. After breaking his opponent three times while experiencing a loss of serve only once, the Brit won the first set 6-2.
Norrie got a better start also into the second set, breaking the Russian twice and leading 5-2. Rublev attempted a late comeback in the second set, but was ultimately unable to close the deficit.
Instead, Norrie held strong and won the match 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the event that he won back in 2021. Up next, he'll meet the 14th-seeded Frances Tiafoe or Alejandro Tabilo.
There is a good chance that he might win the Indian Wells title once again if he can keep up his outstanding form and play with the same degree of confidence and control.
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