Aussie Open: British No.1Norrie crashes out in first round

It was a case of welcome and goodbye for British number 1 Cameron Norrie as he crashed out in the first round of the Aussie Open which served off today in Melbourne.

Sebastian Korda who has been dubbed one of the game’s emerging stars brushed 12th seeded  Norrie aside  6-3, 6-0, 6-4.

The American, son of former Melbourne champion Petr, was sharp from the start, while Norrie immediately faced an uphill battle and never recovered.

The 26-year-old had a phenomenal 2021, climbing unexpectedly to the edge of the top 10 and winning one of the biggest titles on the ATP Tour in Indian Wells.

His success was based on a relentless physical and mental approach, but at the Davis Cup final in late November there were signs that his efforts had taken their toll and there was little time to recover.

He lost three matches to high-profile opponents at the ATP Cup to start the season and was unable to harass Korda at the new Kia Arena in Melbourne Park.

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The 21-year-old is one of the new generation of players who are six feet and above who moves exceptionally well and he immediately pressed the Norrie service, securing an immediate break.

There were still some encouraging signs for Norrie towards the end of the first set, but he dropped the service again to start the second and Korda swept through nine games in a row.

Norrie, who reached the third round here 12 months ago, at least got into a fight afterwards, but this was a match to forget.