Norrie finds form in Mexico
Cameron Norrie is showing signs of a strong comeback at the Los Cabos Open in Mexico. After a difficult stretch of six straight losses on clay and grass courts, the British No 2 broke through with a decisive straight-sets victory over James Duckworth. Norrie began his summer hard-court season with a win over Aleksandar Kovacevic, a result he followed up with a 6-4 6-4 win over Duckworth. The win places Norrie in the quarter-finals, where he will face fellow Australian Bernard Tomic. Norrie had to fight back from 3-0 down to claim the first set against Duckworth, and he broke twice in the second set to go 5-2 up before surviving a late wobble to serve out victory. The fifth seed is the second-highest ranked player still in the draw after top seed Jiri Lehecka lost to Hong Kong's Coleman Wong, and Tomic stunned fourth seed Karen Khachanov.
Duckworth took an early lead in the match, breaking Norrie’s serve to go 2-0 up. But Norrie quickly turned the momentum with two consecutive breaks of serve to go ahead 4-3 in the first set. He then held his serve twice to win the opening set 6-4. The second set appeared even more under control for Norrie as he built a 5-2 lead. However, a moment of uncertainty followed. Norrie was broken serving for the match, and he needed three match points before finally securing the win in just over 90 minutes.
Osaka continues strong return
Naomi Osaka remains in top form as she advances to the quarter-finals of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. Opponent Ashlyn Krueger was forced to retire due to injury while trailing 6-3 3-1. Krueger received treatment for her right ankle during a medical timeout in the first set, but the injury worsened as the match continued. Osaka, making her return to competition since Wimbledon, now has three consecutive quarter-final appearances. Her next match will see her face Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the last eight. Third seed Osaka - who was playing for the first time since reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals - dominated the match to lead 6-3 3-1 victory over before Krueger retired because of an ankle injury.
Focus turns to young Hewitt
A key match on Thursday features young Australian qualifier Cruz Hewitt. At 17, he is the son of former world No 1 Lleyton Hewitt. Making his ATP Tour singles draw debut, Cruz upset Marcos Giron in straight sets, earning his spot in a high-stakes quarter-final against defending champion and top seed Alex de Minaur. Cruz’s performance has already drawn comparisons to his father’s early career, and his rise is being closely watched in the tennis world. Hewitt is the son of former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, and used to knockabout with De Minaur, 10 years his senior. He defeated Marcos Giron of the United States 6-3 6-4 on his main singles draw debut, while De Minaur beat Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 3-6 6-4.
In the men’s draw at the DC Open, Rafael Jodar, a teenage talent from Spain, made a standout move by beating former champion Kei Nishikori. His next match will see him take on fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti, promising an exciting clash. With several key matches set for the coming days, tennis fans can watch all the action live on Sky Sports Tennis, with streaming also available on NOW for those without a Sky subscription.