Norrie Secures De Minaur Showdown in Monte Carlo After Thrilling Three-Set Encounter

Britain's Cameron Norrie has advanced to the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he will face Alex de Minaur, following a grueling three-set victory over world No 58 Miomir Kecmanovic. Norrie, ranked 24th globally, took the first set 6-2 but then dropped the second 6-4. He faced pressure while serving to force a tie-break in the third set, having been broken while serving for the match at 5-4. However, Norrie dominated the tie-break 7-0, securing the win when Kecmanovic hit a forehand wide, marking his first victory in Monte-Carlo since 2019. Norrie had previously reached the quarter-finals at Indian Wells, defeating De Minaur en route, before losing to world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz. He was then beaten in the second round in Miami by Alex Michelsen. Meanwhile, fellow British player Jack Draper is skipping the Monte-Carlo Masters as he continues his cautious comeback from an arm injury sustained last season. Draper, who did not play a tour-level tournament match for six months following the US Open, returned to action during Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against Norway in February. He then participated in the ATP 500 event in Dubai, reaching the second round. Draper's title defense at Indian Wells ended in the quarter-finals with a loss to Daniil Medvedev, and he was defeated in his opening match at the Miami Open by Reilly Opelka. British women's No 2 Katie Boulter, engaged to Norrie's next opponent De Minaur, is competing in the Linz Open this week, facing Gabriela Ruse in the last 32. Emma Raducanu was initially scheduled to participate in the Linz Open but has withdrawn to continue her recovery from an illness contracted in the Middle East earlier this year. Jessica Pegula successfully defended her Charleston Open title, defeating Yuliia Starodubtseva in straight sets. Pegula, ranked 5th globally, navigated four three-set matches to reach the final and then dominated Starodubtseva 6-2 6-2 in just over an hour. 'It's been such a long week, with many three-set matches,' Pegula said. 'I don't know how many hours I spent on court, but it was a lot. The fans brought me through so many matches. I love playing here. This tournament is the best tournament, and we [players] enjoy it so much.'