Cameron Norrie’s disappointing season continued as he suffered a first-round exit at Eastbourne with a straight-set defeat by Emil Ruusuvuori. Norrie, recently replaced as British number one by Jack Draper, lost 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 to the Finnish world number 88, further highlighting his struggles in 2024.
The 28-year-old has had a below-par year, winning just 14 of his 27 matches and slipping to 44th in the world rankings. This defeat means he will not be seeded at this year’s Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, adding to his challenges on the grass court.
Norrie started steadily and had two break points at 3-2 up in the first set but failed to capitalize. Ruusuvuori managed to force a tie-break and, after trailing 5-3 and saving two set points, won the tie-break to take the opener. In the second set, Norrie missed further opportunities, and Ruusuvuori broke serve to lead 5-3. Despite the support of a partisan British crowd, Norrie could not mount a comeback and missed two break points before Ruusuvuori closed out the win, ending his own five-match losing streak.
There was a bright spot for British tennis, as Giles Hussey secured a stunning victory. Hussey, who entered the draw as a lucky loser just 45 minutes before the match, defeated sixth seed Mariano Navone 6-4, 6-2. Ranked 359th in the world, Hussey made the most of his unexpected opportunity, contrasting Norrie’s early exit with an impressive performance.
