EL connection at US Open

A TENNIS player with strong connections to East London has moved into the second round of the US Open tournament in New York.

Cameron Norrie, aged 22, was leading Dmitry Tursonov 7-6, 6-1 when the Russian retired.

Norrie, who beat three opponents without dropping a set to qualify for the Open, said Tursonov appeared to be having trouble with his knee.

He will now play the number 12 seed, Pablo Carreno, of Spain.

Cameron, who was born in Johannesburg, is the son of David and Helen Norrie (née Williams).

Helen attended St Anne’s and Clarendon High School, and went on to a science degree at the University of Port Elizabeth, and honours at the University of Cape Town.

She captained the Border high school squash team and represented Eastern Province at the sport. David was a regional Scottish tennis champion, and played first league squash in Johannesburg.

The family moved to New Zealand when Cameron was a toddler and he developed into the country’s top junior tennis player.

He secured a place at the British tennis centre at Roehampton, and gained a scholarship at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, where he became the USA’s top ranked tennis player, and an AllAmerican. He turned pro earlier this year.

• Cameron is the grandson of the author of this article, a former editor of the Daily Dispatch.