Cameron Norrie beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6 6-4 6-1 to win the BNP Paribas title, becoming the first Briton to do so. Norrie lost the first set of the final round but came back to win the remaining two sets, taking the last one with ease. The win, which marks Norrie’s second professional title, now sees him become Britain’s number 1 as well as move into the world’s top 20. He entered the event ranked 26, being the fourth lowest-ranked man to win the title and the first since 2010.

Norrie enjoyed the lead in the first set but that did not last as Basilashvili fought back, eventually winning the set. This forced Norrie to come back and win the second set, forcing a decider set. The decider set saw Norrie pack up a 3-0 lead has his opponent struggled to hit a good game.

Norrie, who has enjoyed a particularly good season, felt good about the victory, his second this year. He won his first title back in July in Mexico. This year alone, he has reached the final round of six different events, matched only by world number one Novak Djokovic.

Speaking after the match, he said, “It means so much to me, my biggest title. I’m so happy, I can’t even describe it right now. It’s absolutely massive for me and my team. I can’t really believe it.” He also narrated how he had searched for his shoes just before the match started. He never did find those shoes and had to settle for a replacement. He said he had tried not to think about the shoes during the match and that could have been very distracting. Fellow Brit Andy Murray suffered a similar fate earlier in the event, losing his shoe and wedding ring as well.

Norrie is the latest British winner, coming just weeks after Emma Raducanu won the U.S Open title.

Written by: Leon Osamor