The only way is up for debut boy Norrie

CAMERON Norrie has been told “the only way is up” after his impressive Davis Cup debut.

The British number three threatened to pull off a second stunning victory over a Spaniard on clay in Marbella but fell agonisingly short yesterday.

His four-set defeat to fellow left-hander Albert Ramos-Vinolas saw Norrie lose a pair of tie-breaks and fight toe to toe with the world number 21 before eventually being edged out.

Britain lost the tie 3-1 but found a new star in Norrie, a 22-year-old with a cosmopolitan background, having been born to a Welsh mother and Scottish father in South Africa, raised for much of his childhood in New Zealand, and more recently educated i in the United States.

Norrie has also spent ti time living in London, and he has convinced Great Br Britain captain Leon Smith he can have a big future in ten tennis.

B Britain’s point in the mat match was won on Friday by Norrie N with his stunning come comeback win over Roberto Baut Bautista i Agut.

There was to be no repeat on Sunday as RamosVinolas won 7-6 (7/4) 2-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-2, but Smith said of Norrie: “I’m really, really proud of him.

“If he needs some sort of reference point to how far he can go, he got it this weekend. The only way is up for him.”

Speaking on BBC Two, Smith added: “I can’t speak highly enough of what Cam’s done all weekend and yet again today.

“People might have thought it was a one-off what he produced on Friday, but he did it again today against another really high quality player.”

Norrie, who sits 114th in the world, will aim to bump up his ranking to secure automatic entry to the grand slams, having failed to qualify for the Australian Open last month.

He wrote on Twitter: “Incredible experience this weekend in Spain. Couldn’t be more proud of my team. Leaving this tie with a different perspective.”

Andy Murray’s injuryenforced absence from the British ranks, compounded by Kyle Edmund’s own fitness issues, meant few expected Smith’s team to triumph. One singles win was more than might have been foreseen, but it was still insufficient as Spain moved to a quarter-final against Germany.