Cameron Norrie could not find a way past an ailing Novak Djokovic as British interest in singles ended in the third round at the US Open.
Norrie followed Emma Raducanu in exiting the tournament before the middle weekend, with the 30-year-old losing a strange clash with 24-time grand slam champion Djokovic on his Arthur Ashe Stadium debut.
Djokovic took a medical timeout during the first set after appearing to hurt his back, and veered from looking in real bother to playing his best tennis of the tournament in a 6-4 6-7 (4) 6-2 6-3 victory.
Djokovic, who has now beaten Norrie in all seven of their meetings, said of his physical condition: “It’s all right. You don’t want to reveal too much to the rivals watching this.
“I’m good, as young as ever, as strong as ever. It’s New York, even if you’re feeling something body-wise, the energy just overrides it.”
Norrie had said before the match that he would be ready for anything, including Djokovic stopping the match, and that happened after nine games when the 38-year-old called the trainer and left the court for five minutes of treatment.
He had suddenly seized at his lower back during the previous game after hitting an awkward return, wincing and trying to stretch it out.
Djokovic was already a break ahead and he served out the opening set after the match resumed, while he then had more treatment early in the second.
He said: “I just made a quick move and reaction, and I felt the left side of my back.
“I finished that game and I just felt like I needed treatment. I told Cameron at the net, I don’t know if he thinks that I was doing that on purpose to bother him or not, because it absolutely was not my intention.
“But I felt like I needed that treatment, and I felt better after that. When the meds kicked in, as well. I don’t know when it gets cold tomorrow, I’ll see what the reality is.
“But I was lucky not to have that burden stay there. It was just there for a few games, and after that, it was fine.
“The wear and tear on the body all these years is taking a toll, and I’m aware of it, but I’m resisting it. I’m trying to do my best to still be out there competing with the young guys in the highest level.”
The seventh seed had looked far from his best physically in the first two matches and Norrie had vowed to try to make the contest a battle, which he succeeded in doing for a spell.
The British number two, who was bidding for his first win against a top-10 player at a grand slam, fought back from 0-40 at 3-3 and kept the pressure on Djokovic, who was making increasingly agitated gestures towards his box.
Djokovic gained an early lead in the tie-break but Norrie took advantage of a slice of fortune thanks to the net cord to pull back to 3-3 and extended his run of points to five in a row with his best passage of play of the match.
His opponent saved one set point but then double-faulted and, when Norrie broke serve in the opening game of the third set, a shock looked possible.
He could not cement the break, though, and with a double fault the momentum switched again as Djokovic went on a run of four games in a row.
Still there were signs that all was not entirely well, with the Serbian barely appearing to try in Norrie’s service game at 4-1 before locking in again to take first the set and then the match.
