Did Norrie Really Stun Medvedev in a 'Crazy' Rollercoaster? Zverev Advances!

Paris, May 27 (NationPress) Cameron Norrie, the leading British male tennis player, delivered a stunning upset at the French Open on Tuesday by defeating the 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in a challenging five-set match during the first round of men's singles. Meanwhile, last year's finalist Alexander Zverev from Germany also progressed to the next stage.

In other first-round results, Australia's Alex de Minaur, seeded ninth, triumphed over Laslo Djere from Serbia with scores of 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(6), while Alexander Bublik from Kazakhstan overcame James Duckworth of Australia with a score of 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

Norrie, currently ranked No. 81 in the ATP Rankings, summoned immense energy to secure a 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5 victory, advancing to the second round in Paris for the fifth time. After coming back from a two-set deficit, Medvedev was unable to serve out the match at 5-4 in the final set, allowing Norrie to clinch the win after three hours and 53 minutes.

Thanks to his recent performance, Norrie climbed nine positions in the PIF ATP Rankings last week following his semifinal appearance in Geneva, where he lost to Novak Djokovic, the eventual champion. The former World No. 8 is now poised to continue his momentum in Paris, where he will face Argentine lucky loser Federico Agustin Gomez, who defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic from the United States, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.

Initially, it seemed Medvedev would secure a straight-sets victory as he was 5-4 up in the opening set, but Norrie turned the tide by winning eight consecutive games, taking a commanding two-set lead. Medvedev attempted a more aggressive strategy in the second set but reverted to his traditional counterpunching style, which ultimately proved crucial.

While leading 2-1 in the third set, Medvedev took a medical timeout to address a cut on his right index finger. Despite a shaky grip on his racquet, the 29-year-old displayed resilience. He let slip two break points at 3-2 in the third set but responded with a remarkable mid-match streak, winning seven consecutive games to level the match.

Ultimately, it was Norrie's tenacity that made the difference as he triumphed in the final set to conclude a thrilling match. The early stages were a fierce battle, with Norrie saving four break points to hold serve in a 13-minute opening game. Although Medvedev seemed poised for another comeback from two sets down, Norrie maintained his aggressive strategy, winning the final four games from 3-5 to achieve his first victory over Medvedev in their five meetings.

Medvedev's first-round exit mirrors his second-round loss at the Australian Open in January, where he also came back from two sets down but fell to Learner Tien. This marks Medvedev's sixth opening round defeat at Roland Garros out of nine appearances in the French capital.

In contrast, Zverev secured a straightforward victory, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 against Tien in his first-round match on Tuesday. The third seed, who faced defeat against the American in Acapulco in February, successfully saved all four break points he encountered during the one-hour, 53-minute match.

The third-seeded Zverev, who has reached the semifinals in each of his last four appearances at this clay-court major, is set to face either Francesco Passaro or Jesper de Jong next.