Cameron Norrie has crashed out of the European Open at the first-round stage with a straight-sets defeat to Feliciano Lopez in Antwerp. Norrie, 24, competed well, especially in the first set when he earned three break points against the veteran.
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However, the South African-born left-hander could not convert any of them and lost the tie-break before Lopez ran out a 7-6 6-4 winner in Belgium. On a positive note, the world number 61 will replace Kyle Edmund as the British number two when the next rankings list is published on Monday, with Dan Evans now the top Brit.
Edmund’s form has tailed of badly and he failed to qualify for the Antwerp event having won the title last year.
Evans celebrated his elevated status by beating Australian Bernard Tomic in the Stockholm Open first round on Monday and will next face Norway’s Casper Ruud or Serb Filip Krajinovic . Former British number rune Andy Murray begins his European Open campaign against Belgian Kimmer Coppejans later on Tuesday.
