Rio Open: Reigning champion Norrie breezes into last eight-Xinhua

Rio Open: Reigning champion Norrie breezes into last eight

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2024-02-23 11:25:45

Cameron Norrie of Britain hits a return during the round 16 match against Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile at the 2024 ATP500 Rio Open at Jockey Club Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Tiancong)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion Cameron Norrie cruised into the Rio Open quarterfinals on Thursday with a 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Chilean Tomas Barrios.

The 28-year-old Briton won 76% of his first service points and converted six of 10 break points en route to victory in an hour and two minutes on the outdoor clay of the Jockey Club Brasileiro.

"I really played well and I was really accurate," said the second seed. "I hit close to the lines and was very disciplined on the return. I enjoyed it."

Norrie, who is 23rd in the ATP rankings, will meet Brazilian Thiago Wild in the next round of the ATP 500 event.

"I'm going to keep focusing on myself and my level and I want to make sure to keep taking care of my matches like that," he added.

Meanwhile, third seed Sebastian Baez of Argentina also advanced to the last eight with a 7-6(1), 6-3 victory over fellow Argentine Facundo Diaz Acosta.

Others to progress with victories on Thursday included Brazilian pair Joao Fonseca and Thiago Monteiro, Serbia's Dusan Lajovic and Argentine Mariano Navone.

Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile hits a return during the round 16 match against Cameron Norrie of Britain at the 2024 ATP500 Rio Open at Jockey Club Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Tiancong)

Cameron Norrie of Britain hits a return during the round 16 match against Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile at the 2024 ATP500 Rio Open at Jockey Club Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Tiancong)

Cameron Norrie of Britain hits a return during the round 16 match against Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile at the 2024 ATP500 Rio Open at Jockey Club Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Tiancong)