- Jiri Lehecka defeats British No. 1 Cameron Norrie in Australian Open.
- Andy Murray and Dan Evans are the only British players left in the tournament.
- Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 6 seed, will now face Lehcka in the fourth round.
Jiri Lehecka eliminated British No. 1 Cameron Norrie from the Australian Open on Friday, winning 6-7 (8), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Norrie, 27, led the 21-year-old 2-1 after three sets but let his lead slip, leaving Andy Murray and Dan Evans as the only British players left in the major tournament’s men’s and women’s singles categories.
Norrie also had his left knee treated early in the deciding set.
“I can’t really pinpoint why I wasn’t at my best; he performed better than me and in bigger moments,” Norrie explained.
“The knee did not effect the outcome of the match — it was a tiny niggle and I wanted to check it was nothing severe.
Lehecka got the upper hand on Norrie, the tournament’s No. 11 seed, and said their warmup encounter in Auckland on Jan. 11 taught him about his opponent’s tenacity.
“I felt like I could beat him,” Lehecka remarked afterward. “It was a fantastic match. Cameron was playing brilliantly.
“The one thing I learnt from that match [against Norrie in Auckland] was to never give up and battle for every ball.
“I feel terrific and ready for the next round. Last year, I participated in four Grand Slams for the first time and never advanced past the first round.
“I was confident I could beat this guy. “I’m overjoyed to have finished, but it’s not the end.”
In the fourth round, Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 6 seed, will square off against Lehecka.
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