British tennis star Cameron Norrie has been knocked out of the Queen's Club Championships, suffering a defeat to Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. This marks Norrie's first singles appearance since sustaining a rib injury in May, an issue that forced him to withdraw from the French Open last month. The loss comes as a significant test of his recovery ahead of Wimbledon, which is set to begin later this month.
Norrie, often a prominent British presence in the latter stages of Grand Slams, showed initial promise in Tuesday's match against the world number 22. He secured an early break against Davidovich Fokina, but the Spaniard quickly responded, eventually clinching the first set in a tie-break (7-6, 8-6). The second set saw Norrie's challenge fade, with Davidovich Fokina breaking his serve twice to seal a 6-2 victory.
Earlier in the tournament, Norrie had made a return to the court in the men's doubles on Monday. Partnering with Australia's Alex de Minaur, they were defeated by India's Yuki Bhambri and New Zealand's Michael Venus. This gradual return to competitive play was crucial for Norrie to assess his fitness and form following the injury layoff.
Meanwhile, in other British tennis news at Queen's, Arthur Fery delivered a dominant performance against compatriot Toby Samuel, winning 6-0 6-2. Both Fery and Samuel, who were junior doubles semi-finalists together at Wimbledon in 2019, have now been granted main-draw wildcards for this year's Wimbledon Championships. Fery expressed satisfaction with his performance, acknowledging the challenge of playing a familiar opponent.
Beyond the British contingent, the tournament has seen some unexpected results. Third seed and French Open semi-finalist Jakub Mensik was surprisingly beaten by veteran Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in a tight three-set encounter. Similarly, in Halle, defending champion Alexander Bublik and Andrey Rublev both exited the competition, highlighting the unpredictable nature of pre-Wimbledon grass-court tournaments.
Norrie is one of five British players who have secured direct entry into the Wimbledon main draw and will be a seeded player when the prestigious tournament commences on Monday, 29 June. His performance at Queen's, despite the early exit, provides valuable match practice and an indication of his current physical condition.
Source: BBC Sport