Britain’s Cameron Norrie has beaten Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili to 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to win the ATP Indian Wells title in California.
This is the biggest title triumph of Norrie’s career as he becomes the first Briton to win the Indian Wells title as the Brit’s breakthrough season reached a pinnacle in the California desert.
Norrie rallied from a set down to earn his career’s best 47th win of the season and is the first player from Great Britain to lift the trophy, achieving what former finalists Andy Murray, Tim Henman, and Greg Rusedski failed to do.
Top 20 ranking in sight
The victory will lead him into the top 20 in the world for the first time in his career and move him past Daniel Evans to become the new British No. 1.
Norrie said, “I am so happy, this is my biggest title.”
who clinched the crown when Basilashvili belted a forehand long on the first match point.
Norrie, who clinched the crown, said, “It has been an incredible week. I was expecting it to be a longer match and he made a couple of errors at the end.”
Norrie was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, grew up in New Zealand before becoming the top collegiate player in the United States at Texas Christian University.
He has been playing for Great Britain for the past eight years.
Cameron Norrie shook hands with Nikoloz Basilashvili, of Georgia, after thrashing him in the singles final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, October 17, 2021, in Indian Wells, California.
Basilashvili’s health issues
The 29-year-old Basilashvili was playing his third title of the season.
He has a reputation of being an unpredictable player capable of looking invincible one day and vulnerable the next.
Unfortunately, the Georgian did not bring his mastered tactics against Norrie, unlike the quarter-finals where he upset the Greek second-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Basilashvili said that he had some health issues Sunday and his energy was drained in the final set but he declined to comment on the detail.
