Cameron Norrie edged past Tomas Machac in a tightly contested three‑set battle to secure his place in the third round of the Madrid Open, while his compatriot Katie Boulter was eliminated after a straight‑sets loss to the tournament’s fifth seed, Jessica Pegula, on Friday. The British No.1 started the match against the Czech player in commanding fashion, cruising to a 6‑2 first set.
However, the momentum shifted in the second set when Machac rallied and forced a tiebreak. Norrie found himself on the brink of defeat, facing a match point as Machac served for the win. Demonstrating resilience, Norrie saved the point and forced a decider, eventually dropping the second set 6‑7 after a hard‑fought tiebreak that ended 8‑6 in Machac’s favour. Entering the final set trailing 5‑3, Norrie was on the back foot and appeared vulnerable to a straight‑set loss.
Yet, at a critical juncture when Machac was serving for the match, Norrie broke back, leveling the set and resetting the tension. The British player then held his nerve in the tiebreak, sealing it 7‑5 and completing a remarkable comeback to win the match 6‑2, 6‑7 (6‑8), 7‑6 (7‑5). He later described the encounter as one of the "favourite matches" of his career, noting the electric atmosphere and the mental test it provided. "I was feeling the ball really well in the first set, but the second was a struggle and I had to dig deep in the third when I was down a break," Norrie told Sky Sports.
"It was so, so good. It was one of the favourite matches of my career – the atmosphere was fantastic and it tested me in so many ways. These are the kind of matches where you can get through them and go on to have a great week." With this victory, Norrie now looks ahead to a potential clash with Argentine qualifier Thiago Agustín Tirante, who recently upset 15th‑seeded American Tommy Paul.
Norrie's recent form has been encouraging; he reached the quarter‑finals of the Barcelona Open the week before and, despite never having progressed beyond the third round in Madrid previously, this win signals a possible breakthrough. On the women’s side, Katie Boulter was unable to replicate Norrie's success.
The 29‑year‑old British player fell 6‑4, 6‑4 to fifth‑seeded Jessica Pegula, ending her run in the tournament. Boulter had accompanied her fiancé, Australian rising star Alex de Minaur, onto the court after his own disappointing defeat to Spanish youngster Rafael Jodar. Although Boulter fought valiantly, the loss meant a double setback for the couple on the same day.
The Madrid Open continued to showcase high‑quality tennis across both tours. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner staged a comeback victory over France’s Benjamin Bonzi, overturning a first‑set loss to win 6‑7 (6‑8), 6‑1, 6‑4, marking his 18th consecutive win after recent triumphs at Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the Monte Carlo Masters.
Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina recovered from an opening set deficit to defeat Romania’s Elena Gabriela Ruse 4‑6, 6‑3, 7‑5, and American star Coco Gauff dispatched Leolia Jeanjean with a dominant 6‑3, 6‑0 performance to reach the third round. Fans can follow the ATP and WTA action live via Sky Sports or stream the coverage through NOW and the Sky Sports app, which offers subscribers more than 50% additional live sport at no extra charge. For the best viewing experience, a Chrome browser is recommended for the video player.