Norrie wins in Metz and Djokovic through in Athens

Novak Djokovic advanced in Athens while Cameron Norrie defeated Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in three sets to advance to the Moselle Open quarter-finals.

In Metz, France, British No. 3 Norrie won a close match 7-6 (7-6), 6-2, to advance to his fifth tour-level quarter-final since Wimbledon in July.

The 30-year-old will next face French victors Kyrian Jacquet and Dan Added, who were both defeated on Wednesday.

In the opening match, world number 27 Norrie broke the 69th-ranked Cazaux’s serve, which came in second place last year.

However, Norrie had to survive a break point to end the first set, which the home favorite dominated, after Cazaux levelled the set.

The second set also headed toward a tie-break, but Norrie held on for the lead once more and eventually seized his fourth set point with a stunning forehand winner.

After a struggling Cazaux’s fading energy with an immediate break, Norrie raced to the finish line at midnight local time, capitalising on that momentum into the decider.

He is a very talented player, and it’s always a battle. I had to work hard to enter the match, and I had to choose some self-defense maneuvers,” Norrie said.

“I just told myself I wanted to be here and play.”

Alejandro Tabilo defeated Djokovic for the first time at the Athens Open, making it to his 225th tour-level quarter-final.

Tabilo, a Chilean, and Djokovic had previously won both of their previous meetings, but Roger Federer is the only player to have gone 3-0 head-to-head against the record-holder 24-time men’s Grand Slam champion.

The 38-year-old Serb increased his record of winning every match that he has won the first set this season to 28 with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 victory after prevailing in a first-set tie-break.

In a dominant finish to the match, Djokovic won 20 of the final 23 points.