Norrie launches season with a positive victory

Cameron Norrie overcome some windy conditions to win his first match of the new season when he beat the American wild card JC Aragone in the opening round of the Delray Beach Open by Vitacost.com.

I served really well today, I really relied on that and I was pretty solid. I don’t think I missed too many balls Cameron Norre

The British No.3 was positive throughout the match as he bundled his opponent out of the event after 67-minutes, 6-2 6-1, having saved three break points and winning 84% of his first serves.

“I knew that it would be tricky playing as the favourite and in these conditions,” Norrie said following his win.

“I served really well today, I really relied on that and I was pretty solid. I don’t think I missed too many balls. I didn’t really go for much, but I was able to relax a bit towards the end and play more aggressive. It’s playing pretty lively out here, so I’m just glad to get the win. It was not easy.”

The 25-year-old Norrie will take on a harder proposition in the next round when he faces third-seeded Adrian Mannarino for a place in the last eight.

Joining him the last 16 is Ivo Karlovic, who at the age of 41, is the oldest player currently winning matches on the ATP Tour and could match Jimmy Connors open-era record set in 1995, of being the oldest if he continues in that vein after turning 42 next month!

The Croat, the 2015 champion, overcame the seventh-seeded Pablo Andujar of Spain, 6-3 5-7 6-4 in a two-hour and 18-minute battle striking 27 aces, just three short of the tournament record set by John Inser in 2018.

“Almost every match that I win, now with my age, it [makes] history,” retorted the 6’ 11” Karlovic in his on-court interview.

Karlovic now moves on to play Roberto Quiroz, a qualifier from Ecuador, who defeated American wildcard Noah Rubin 7-6(1) 6-3.

Eighth seed Frances Tiafoe produced a confident performance to beat his American compatriot Donald Young, a qualifier, 6-3 6-4.

“It’s never easy playing someone you like a lot or have known for so long,” Tiafoe said post-match. “But I competed great tonight, I thought, [even though] I wasn’t feeling the ball as well as I would like… It’s a work in progress.”

Tiafoe, a former Delray Beach champion, added: “This court is definitely one of my favourite courts in the world,

“At 20 years old, winning a title here was really special back in 2018. Hopefully this year, or one of these years, I can do it again.”

In other first-round play, American Christian Harrison swept Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina, 6-4 6-2; Bjorn Fratangelo beat fellow American Kevin King 6-2 6-2 and Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia eliminated Andrej Martin of Slovakia, 6-4 6-4.