Cam Norrie is the last Brit standing and sets up third-round showdown with Rafael Nadal after battling past Roman Safiullin in day-night match at Australian Open
- Cam Norrie’s match had to move under the roof as prolonged rain fell
- But the British No 3 overcame the disruption to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6
- Rafael Nadal is showing few signs of the back injury he has been talking about
Cam Norrie battled his way through a day-nighter in Melbourne to set up a third round Australian Open clash against Rafael Nadal.
The 25 year-old left-hander is the last British player left standing after the earlier departure of Heather Watson, and is into the last 32 of a Major for the second time in the last three Grand Slams.
He won an exhausting encounter 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 just before midnight local time against Russia‘s Roman Safiullin, who had come through last month’s qualifying event in Doha.
Cam Norrie celebrates after winning the fourth set tiebreak against Roman Safiullin
Norrie’s clash with the Russian moved indoors after a prolonged rain delay in Melbourne
The match started outdoors but following prolonged rain moved under the roof of the Margaret Court Arena for the fourth set.
‘Playing on Court 8 at first and then coming in here was a different atmosphere and I used it to my advantage,’ said GB No 3 Norrie. ‘It will be on a big court against Rafa so it was nice to get used to it.
‘I saw yesterday my name was near his in the draw. I’ve never played him before, it will be a great experience for me to show him what I’ve got.’
Despite dropping the first set, the British No 3 came through 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 against Safiullin
His struggle against the Russian took nearly two and half hours to complete, involving gruelling baseline exchanges. In the fourth set Norrie broke for 6-5 on a fifth break point but was broken to take it into a tiebreak.
From 3-3 in that he managed to forge ahead, and emulated his performance at last year’s US Open, where he also made the third-round.
Nadal is showing few signs of the back injury he has been talking about, and hammered American Michael Mmoh 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
Up next for Norrie is a first ever meeting with the increasingly ominous Rafael Nadal