Brit special as Norrie and Evans advance at Madrid Open

Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans helped create British history at the Madrid Open yesterday.

Norrie and Evans both joined Andy Murray in the third round to make it the first ever ATP Masters 1000 event on clay where Britain has had three players at that stage.

Murray booked his spot – and a meeting with old rival Novak Djokovic – on Tuesday night and Norrie and Evans followed suit the next day.

British No 1 Norrie beat big-serving American John Isner in three sets, winning 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4.

The 26-year-old, ranked 11th in the world, was able to find decisive breaks at key moments of the first and third sets to make it through and set up a date with rising star Carlos Alcaraz.

Evans, who has been short of wins lately, posted an impressive 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (2) success over home favourite Roberto Bautista Agut and will next play world No 8 Andrey Rublev.

Meanwhile, after six weeks away, Rafael Nadal made an emphatic return to the ATP Tour, moving past Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 7-6(4) to reach the third round in Madrid.

The Spaniard last competed in March, when American Taylor Fritz ended his perfect start to the season in the Indian Wells final.

However, in a rain-disrupted clash against Kecmanovic, the world No 4 played as if he had never been away, hitting with his explosive power as he recovered from failing to serve out the match at 6-5 in the second set to advance after one hour and 55 minutes.

Nadal is aiming to win his sixth title on home soil in Madrid this week, having last triumphed at the claycourt event in 2017. If he can accomplish the feat, he will move level with Djokovic on a record 37 ATP Masters 1000 crowns.

The third seed will next meet Marrakech champion David Goffin or Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the last 16.