Cameron Norrie’s campaign at the Los Cabos Open came to an abrupt end in the early hours of Saturday, when he was outplayed by Denis Shapovalov. The British No. 2, who had been on a six‑match losing streak, managed to reach the semi‑final in Mexico, hinting at a possible turnaround, but ultimately could not halt the momentum of the defending champion. The match unfolded with Shapovalov taking an early advantage, breaking Norrie's serve in the very first service game and racing to a 2‑0 lead.
Norrie was unable to recover the opening set, conceding it 6‑3 as the Canadian continued to press his advantage. Despite the setback, the 30‑year‑old Brit fought back in the second set. After a series of tightly contested games, he managed to level the score at 5‑5, demonstrating resilience after his opponent had earlier broken him to love.
At 6‑5, Norrie earned two set points on Shapovalov’s serve; a decisive forehand volley that clipped the line secured the second set 7‑5, giving the British a lifeline and pushing the contest into a decisive third set. In the final set, however, Shapovalov’s power and consistency proved decisive. He held his serve under pressure and closed out the match 6‑4, sealing a victory that lasted just under three hours – 2 hours and 40 minutes to be precise – and sending him into the Los Cabos final.
After the win, Shapovalov praised his own serving performance, saying, "Great serving from me today and I knew I needed it against a guy like Cam. He doesn’t give you many free points so I knew I had to try and hit my serves and hit tricky spots for him." He added that he was "very happy" and ready to rest after what he described as a "very tough battle." The loss extended Norrie's recent slump, marking his sixth consecutive defeat in competitive play. Nevertheless, his ability to capture the second set against a top‑ranked opponent suggests that his form may be improving, even if the final result was not in his favor.
The British player will now have to regroup and look ahead to the remainder of the ATP calendar, hoping to break the negative streak and regain confidence. In other news from the tournament, the Frenchman Arthur Gea secured a spot in the final by defeating Coleman Wong 7‑6(7) 6‑3. Wong, who is poised to break into the ATP Top 100 for the first time on Monday, put up a solid fight but ultimately fell short against the experienced French competitor.
On the women’s side, top‑seeded American Jessica Pegula continued her impressive run at the Washington Open, overcoming Russia’s Diana Shnaider 7‑5 6‑4 on Saturday. Pegula’s victory set up a final against the Philippines’ rising star Alexandra Eala, who had earlier dispatched Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6‑4 6‑2. Pegula, currently World No.
3, is chasing her third title of the year and the 12th of her career after triumphs in Dubai and Charleston. She captured her first Washington title back in 2019. Reflecting on her performance, Pegula said, "I just capitalised on a couple of areas.
I think I started just trying to find the rhythm on the return. I didn’t think I was that far off … So, just trying to pick up my energy and again, try and be a little bit more aggressive." Eala, only 21, is now just one win away from her maiden WTA title. Her semi‑final victory over Osaka was marked by composure and tactical acuity. After breaking Osaka in the ninth game of the opening set, Eala held serve to love and took the first set.
She continued her dominance in the second, breaking early again and extending her lead to 4‑2 before closing out the set, winning the match in straight sets without dropping a game. The Filipino teenager, playing her third semi‑final of the season, also recorded a notable win over second‑seed Elina Svitolina earlier in the tournament, marking her sixth victory of the year against a top‑10 opponent.
Eala, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last month, expressed her satisfaction, stating, "I think I played really well and, of course, it’s such a meaningful match against a great player. So really happy to share the court with Naomi." Overall, the Los Cabos Open delivered a blend of drama and emerging storylines. While Norrie's early exit underscores the challenges he faces in ending his losing streak, the performances of Shapovalov, Pegula, and Eala highlight the depth and competitiveness of both the ATP and WTA tours as they head toward the latter part of the season.