Cameron Norrie saved five of the six break points he faced to beat 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 reaching his second career ATP Tour final at the Millenium Estoril Open.
Norrie is looking to win his first ATP Tour title, more than two years after reaching the final at the 2019 ASB ASB Classic in Auckland. Norrie has claimed 18 wins on the ATP Tour this year. He ties third with Jannik Sinner on the 2021 ATP Tour match wins leaderboard.
Cilic converted his third break point at deuce to open up a 3-0 lead. Norrie broke back at love in the fifth game to draw level to 3-3. Cilic got a mini-break to take a 3-1 lead in the tie-break. Both players went on serve until the 12th point, when Cilic got the mini-break to win the tie-break 7-5.
Norrie earned the only break of the second set when he hit a forehand winner up the line. The British player has beaten consecutive seeds to reach the final, after his quarter final win against second-seed Cristian Garin.
“It was really tough. I started a little bit slow and managed to ease my way into the match. I played really good when break point down and went after it. Marin was serving great and it was really tricky to get his first serve back. I am fortunate to get through and I am just happy to be in my second final. I am playing good. I am competing pretty well and I am just really happy with myself. I am keeping a really consistent level, even on days when I am not quite feeling my best. I am still digging in there and making it physical and playing on my terms, being the one dictating points. I think that is the reason why I am having a bit of success. I just want to keep improving and keep getting better”, said Norrie.
Norrie set up a final against Albert Ramos Vinolas, who beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1 6-4 after 77 minutes. Ramos Vinolas converted five of his six break points.
Both players traded breaks in the first two games of the opening set. Ramos Vinolas won five consecutive games with two breaks in the fourth and sixth games to claim the opening set 6-1. Davidovich Fokina open up a 4-1 lead in the second set with a break in the fourth game, but Ramos Vinolas came back by wiining five consecutive games with two breaks to claim the second set 6-4.
Ramos Vinolas won his previous two head-to-head matches on clay.
“I am really happy. I am fighting a lot and I am tactically doing good. Tomorrow is another match, another day and I have a really tough opponent who has been playing good tennis throughout the season. Last week, he played three good matches and this week he has beaten very good players. I think tomorrow will be very difficult”, said Ramos Vinolas.
