Cameron Norrie suffers defeat in straight sets to world No 1 Daniil Medvedev in final of the Abierto de Tenis Mifel
- Daniil Medvedev beat Cameron Norrie 7-5 6-0 in final of Abierto de Tenis Mifel
- Norrie battled hard in first set but world No 1 Medvedev then took control
- The win represents Medvedev’s first tour victory since last year’s US Open
Cameron Norrie fell just short of his third ATP Tour title of the year as he went down in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Abierto de Tenis Mifel.
World No 12 Norrie won the tournament in Los Cabos, Mexico last year but faced a tall task defending his crown against the top-ranked Medvedev.
Little separated the two in a tense first set as both players converted their early opportunities.
British No 1 Cameron Norrie was beaten 7-5 6-0 in final of Abierto de Tenis Mifel
British No 1 Norrie successfully repelled a set point at 5-4 but was unable to prevent Medvedev converting on his second attempt.
The Russian was in cruise control from there, racing home in the second to capture his 14th tour-level trophy with a 7-5 6-0 win.
It marks Medvedev’s first tour victory since last year’s US Open.
‘I fought as hard as I could do, but Daniil was too good,’ said Norrie, 26. ‘Well done to you and your team. You definitely deserve it this week.
‘I just want to say a big thank you to everyone for supporting me. I love playing in Mexico and that is the reason why I come back. I really feel good here.’
World No 1 Daniil Medvedev was crowned the winner of the tournament in Mexico
Most of Medvedev’s success over the years have come on hardcourts and he did not lose a set this week en route to his first title of the season.
‘Every match was very good, but the final is always special,’ Medvedev said.
‘In the final you play the best player of this week, so it’s always a high-level match and I’m really happy that I managed to show some good level, some good shots in such an important match.’
Norrie battled well in the first set but Medvedev managed to take control during the second set
Medvedev needed treatment in the 11th game on Saturday as he scraped his hand on the court and drew blood while hitting a ball, shortly after left-handed Norrie had saved two set points to level the match at 5-5 in the opening set.
The Russian, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows last year, went up a gear from there on, winning the next eight games to seal the contest.
‘It was not easy. Cam is an amazing player, so it was really intense,’ Medvedev said. ‘When you play against Cam, you know that you have to fight for every point.
‘Actually bleeding helped me I think a little bit so I could hold my nerve a little bit more. Since then I just managed to play good and it was enough today.’
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