Cameron Norrie’s hopes of a first appearance in an ATP Tour quarter-final since this year’s Wimbledon were dashed by Matteo Berrettini at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
British player Norrie lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (11-9) 6-4 to Italy’s former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini in the last 16 having upset world No 15 Andrey Rublev in the previous round.
Norrie had four chances to lead 5-1 in the opening set before eventually losing in a tie-break, while he then saved a match point in the second-set tie-break to force a decider before being beaten in three hours and 16 minutes in Austria.
Berrettini will now meet Alex de Minaur in the last eight, with the Australian beating home wild card Filip Misolic 6-4 6-4.
World No 2 Jannik Sinner plays compatriot Flavio Cobolli in Vienna on Thursday evening
World No 2 Jannik Sinner, the top seed, plays fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli later on Thursday and will face Alexander Bublik or Francisco Cerundolo if he wins.
Britain’s Jack Draper, currently sidelined with an arm injury, won the Erste Bank Open in 2024, beating Karen Khachanov for his first ATP 500 title.
Saudi Arabia set to host Masters 1000 event from 2028
Elsewhere, it has been announced that Saudi Arabia will host a new Masters 1000 event, likely from 2028.
The country’s influence in tennis has been growing, staging the WTA Finals, the Next Gen ATP Finals and the Six Kings Slam, while sponsorship deals through its Public Investment Fund include the ATP and WTA rankings and the WTA’s maternity programme.
Sinner (right) beat Carlos Alcaraz (left) in the 2025 Six Kings Slam final
Saudi Arabia will join the existing nine 1000 tournaments – the top tier of the men’s tour – in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris.
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said of the plans for the tournament: “They’re really amazing and I think they’re going to raise the bar in terms of both player experience and fan experience.
“This is a proud moment for us and the result of a journey that’s been years in the making.
“Saudi Arabia has shown a genuine commitment to tennis, not just at the professional level, but also in growing the game more broadly at all levels.”
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