Cameron Norrie Reaches Metz Semi-Finals

Cameron Norrie Battles Into Metz Semi-Finals Amid Nosebleed Drama

British tennis star Cameron Norrie has booked his place in the Moselle Open semi-finals, producing a gritty three-set victory over French hopeful Kyrian Jacquet. The world No. 27's 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 triumph marks his third consecutive win against a French player this week and keeps alive his bid for a first ATP Tour title since 2023.

The 30-year-old faced a stern test against lucky loser Jacquet, who fired 48 winners to Norrie's 28 but ultimately succumbed to 48 unforced errors. The match took an unexpected turn when Norrie suffered a mid-match nosebleed, disrupting his momentum in the second set.

Resilient Norrie Overcomes Setback

"He surprised me a lot," Norrie admitted after the two-hour, 25-minute contest. "He was mixing it up really well. A lot of slicing, then really aggressive at moments. His serve is really, really good."

After taking a 4-1 lead in the opening set, Norrie's momentum stalled when Jacquet reeled off five straight games. A second nosebleed during Jacquet's service game at 4-4 in the second set brought medical attention to the court, but the Briton responded impressively.

"The French have so many good players, so many different kinds of players. I really liked the way he competed and he could have easily won the match in the second set as well, but I managed to stay tough."

Norrie dominated the tie-break and sealed the victory by breaking Jacquet to love in the final game, winning the last 11 points of the match.

Path to a Hard-Court Title

As the only seeded player remaining in the Metz draw, Norrie has reached his first ATP hard-court semi-final since last year's tournament in the same city. The former world No. 8 is targeting his sixth career title and first since lifting the trophy at the 2023 Rio Open, where he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Sonego Awaits in Last Four

Norrie's next challenge comes against Italian Lorenzo Sonego, a former Metz champion who defeated Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 7-6(6) to reach the semi-finals. Sonego's prior triumph in Metz came in 2022, adding extra significance to this potential title rematch.

"He's got great memories here, so it'll be a tough match," Norrie acknowledged of Sonego. "But I'm feeling confident after these three tough wins against French players this week."

Broader ATP Tour Context

Elsewhere on the ATP circuit, American teenager Learner Tien continued his remarkable season by rallying past Matteo Berrettini 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. The 19-year-old became the youngest American man with 30 wins in a season since Andy Roddick in 2002.

In Athens, Italy's Lorenzo Musetti kept his ATP Finals hopes alive by reaching the semi-finals, setting up a potential showdown against Novak Djokovic, who recorded his 199th career semi-final appearance with a straight-sets victory over Nuno Borges.

Norrie's resilient run in Metz highlights his determination to end his title drought on the hard courts where he has compiled a 13-16 record this season. With his competitive spirit fully ignited, all eyes will be on whether he can clinch his first trophy since 2023.