Norrie Moves Past Molcan For Lyon Crown

Cameron Norrie clinched his second ATP Tour title of the season Saturday, edging Slovakian Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-1 in the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon final.

The top seed lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the championship match at the ATP 250 event last year, but produced an intense and all-action performance against Molcan to ensure he would not fall at the final hurdle again this week, sealing victory on his third match point.

In a hard-fought battle, Norrie recovered from squandering two match points on Molcan’s serve in the second set as he held off an attacking bombardment from the 24-year-old to eventually triumph in the decider after two hours and 31 minutes.

“It is my first title on the clay so it means a lot to me,” Norrie said in his on-court interview. “I can’t be happier with how I handled everything this week. This one feels the best so far. I don’t know why, it is just so special and I couldn’t be happier and am really speechless right now. It was an incredible atmosphere. Thanks to everyone for coming out.

“I had chances to close the matches in straight sets this week and get it done easier than usual and it didn’t go that way and I was able to let that go and respond. In the third set I moved really well and it is nice to get over the line.”

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The Briton, who overcame Francisco Cerundolo, Sebastian Baez and Holger Rune en route to the championship match, has become the fifth player to win multiple tour-level titles in 2022, joining Carlos Alcaraz (4), Rafael Nadal (3), Andrey Rublev (3) and Reilly Opelka (2). Norrie downed Opelka to lift the trophy in Delray Beach in February.

The World No. 11 has now captured four ATP Tour titles in his career, with his victory in the south of France the first time he has won a crown on clay. It is also Norrie’s first tour-level triumph outside North America.

Norrie made a fast start on Court Central as he caused problems for Molcan with his watertight groundstrokes, with the Slovakian taking time to settle. The Briton moved a double break ahead, and while Molcan recovered one, he was unable to hit through Norrie with regularity as the 26-year-old moved ahead.

Breaks were then exchanged at the start of the second set, before Norrie conjured up two match points on Molcan’s serve at 4-5. However, the 24-year-old saved both before he continued to go on the attack in the tie-break to level. Norrie came out firing in the third set, though, putting his disappointment behind him to play the more consistent tennis, pulling Molcan from side to side to record the win.

Molcan swept aside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Karen Khachanov, Federico Coria and Alex de Minaur in straight sets to reach his third ATP Tour final and second in as many months, having advanced to the championship match in Marrakech.

However, the 24-year-old, who is up to No. 38 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, was unable to outmanoeuvre Norrie for prolonged periods in front of a packed crowd in Lyon.