Brit shows true grit in best ever Slam victory

CAMERON NORRIE battled back from two sets down to beat No9 seed Diego Schwartzman in the US Open first round for the best win of his Grand Slam career.

An extraordinary opening-round marathon saw 58 break points – a new record for the US Open.

And the British No3 saved two match points in the final set as struggling Schwartzman was hit by cramp.

Norrie went on to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 7-5 in just under four hours.

The British hopeful said: “I’m pretty tired, actually.

“Honestly, for me the tennis and the level wasn’t that great but I had a really good attitude throughout. I was happy with that.

“I was lucky to get through that one, saved a couple of match points at the end. It was a tough one.

“I’m not sure if the break points record is a good stat to have. In the first couple of sets I missed so many second serve returns on the ad side when I had break points.

“I was getting frustrated but I stayed patient.” World No13

Schwartzman appeared to be cruising to a straight-sets win when he took the first two sets.

But Norrie raised his game after he received a code violation for hitting a ball out of Court Five in anger and drew the match level at two sets each by winning 10 out of the next 11 games against the Argentine.

A tense final set saw Schwartzman call a medical timeout before Norrie saved a first match point on his own serve at 5-3 down and again when Schwartzman served for the match at 5-4.

The No9 seed then saved two match points himself with winners before dumping a forehand into the net. Norrie added: “I struggled a little at the start of the fifth but I backed myself physically and he was struggling at the end.”

His previous best result at a Grand Slam was at the 2018 French Open when world No43 Peter Gojowczyk retired in the second set. Norrie has never reached the third round at a Grand Slam. Until now, his most famous result was also coming from two sets down to beat world No23 Roberto Bautista-Agut on his Davis Cup debut in 2018.