Cameron Norrie is determined to tick off another major career goal by the end of the year. The English star, who is in China for the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships on Saturday, believes he is ‘going to be pretty dangerous’ in the latter stages of 2023.

The 28-year-old is 15th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Turin. But Norrie is confident he is hitting the ball well enough to make a big leap forward over the next month in Asia and believes he can qualify for the ATP Tour Finals.

“At the start of the year that was a huge goal [but] there were a couple of things that got in the way of that, mostly in the level of my tennis,” Norrie said. “I’ve been really working hard to bring the quality up again in my practice sessions and my team has been great with me and I think I’m ready to have a big week again.

“Honestly, in previous years, I’ve thought I’ve played my best tennis here in Asia, but I never had a really big result. Someone always came up and beat me and played well against me. But I think I’m going to be pretty dangerous these next few weeks. It’s going to take someone very good to stop me.”

Norrie, who rides his bike to the All England Lawn Tennis Club during Wimbledon, was a semi-finalist there last year and also reached the last 16 in New York in a strong season. He emphasized excelling in the majors this year but was only able to reach the third rounds at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

Norrie, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz to triumph in Rio during a strong start to the season, said he needs to sustain his form and concentration for longer in Grand Slams.

“I was really going into the season to try to prioritise the Grand Slams and I was not able to play my best at those tournaments and I was very disappointed with that,” he said. “I think I can learn a lot from how I handled those weeks … and I think, over five sets, I should be tougher to beat.

“But I’m going to have to go away and work really hard with my team in the off-season and really embrace the Grand Slams in the future.”

Norrie arrived in Zhuhai after tough singles losses to Stan Wawrinka and Ugo Humbert at the Davis Cup last week. But he said being around his countrymen as Great Britain booked a spot in the Davis Cup Finals with a thrilling victory over France was an ‘insane ending’ to a ‘crazy week’.

“I’ve actually never felt so good after getting chopped, losing two matches. I was able to come away feeling so good and it is not often you have that in tennis,” he said. “It was a huge honor to represent my country again and I definitely took a lot of positives from the week and I was really happy with the way it finished.”

Norrie looked in good form when hitting with Tomas Matin Etcheverry in Zhuhai on Friday ahead of his first match at the tournament against Australian qualifier Marc Polmans. The diligence of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings No. 17 was on display on Thursday as he watched Polmans closely during the Australian’s opening-round win over Dane Sweeny.

“It feels good to be back and I definitely missed this part of the year, because the last few years it was straight into the indoor season. It feels good to be back,” Norrie said.

The photos have been taken and practice is complete. On Friday, Team Europe and Team World will begin the 2023 Laver Cup in Vancouver. 

After taking official photos for the teams event on Wednesday, the stars made their final preparations on Thursday in Canada. The Order of Play for Day 1, when matches will be worth one point each, was also unveiled.

Recent US Open semi-finalist Ben Shelton will try to make a good start for defending champion Team World against fellow Laver Cup debutant Arthur Fils of Team Europe.

“Being back in a team environment, I feel really comfortable,” Shelton said at his team’s press conference Thursday. “Really excited to be on this team with these guys, guys that the last few years I’ve been watching tear it up on Tour and been watching tear it up in this event. So really happy to be here, excited to be kicking things off tomorrow and looking forward [to] the chance to set the tone for the team.”

A series of smiles 😁@LaverCup | #LaverCup pic.twitter.com/sBGq9NRfuH

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 21, 2023

In the day’s other two singles clashes, Francisco Cerundolo (Team World) will play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Team Europe) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (Team World) will try to defeat Gael Monfils (Team Europe).

Team World’s Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe will take on Team Europe’s Fils and Andrey Rublev in the first doubles match of the competition.

ORDER OF PLAY – FRIDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2023

ROGERS ARENA start 1 p.m.
Arthur Fils (Europe) vs Ben Shelton (World)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Europe) vs Francisco Cerundolo (World)

7 p.m.
Gael Monfils (Europe) vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (World)

Arthur Fils (EUR) / Andrey Rublev (Europe) vs Tommy Paul (World)/ Frances Tiafoe (World)

A first-round match on Thursday at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships featured one of the most interesting endings to a match in recent memory.

After Mackenzie McDonald polished off a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 victory over #NextGenATP Chinese star Shang Juncheng, who was struggling physically with cramp, the American jogged to Shang’s side of the court. McDonald put Shang on his back and carried him to his chair.

“I knew he was struggling so I ran to him to shake his hand,” McDonald told ATPTour.com. “He said, ‘Good match’, and he said, ‘Can you help me to the bench?’ I said, ‘Hop on’. So he jumped on my back and I carried him over to the bench and he said, ‘Good match, man.’”

Still friends 🤭@mackiemacster passes a tough test against Shang 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3!@ZhuhaiChampions | #ZhuhaiChampionships pic.twitter.com/kOznQVQJd9

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 21, 2023

The clip of the competitors enjoying a light-hearted moment after a tough battle quickly went viral on social media. McDonald needed two hours and 36 minutes to win the match, but just seconds to earn plenty of fans around the world.

The sixth seed will face Belgian Kimmer Coppejans for a place in the quarter-finals.

Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul booked a quarter-final spot Thursday at the Chengdu Open, but the top seeds were made to battle to the final point by Robin Haase and Bart Stevens in a tense doubles encounter at the ATP 250.

Doumbia and Reboul were two points from defeat at 7/8 in the Match Tie-break but did not face match point as they held firm for a 6-4, 4-6, 12-10 victory in China’s Sichuan province. The French duo’s 89-minute victory was based a solid serving performance, as it won 88 per cent (35/40) of points behind first serves.

Currently 17th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings after reaching one championship match and four other semi-finals at ATP Tour events this year, Doumbia and Reboul will hope a deep run in Zhuhai can kick-start a late charge towards qualification for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

Their next test in Zhuhai is a last-eight clash against John Peers and Roman Safiullin, who also enjoyed Match Tie-break success as they downed home wild cards Cui Jie and Wang Aoran 6-0, 4-6, 10-7.

Lammons/Withrow Make Fast Start In Zhuhai
At the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships, Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow maintained their good form with an opening 7-5, 6-4 win against Japanese duo Toshihide Matsui and Yoshihito Nishioka.

The third-seeded Lammons and Withrow won their third ATP Tour title of the year in Winston-Salem last month before reaching the quarter-finals at the US Open. They will next face Anirudh Chandrasekar/Vijay Sundar Prashanth or Arjun Kadhe/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi at the ATP 250.

Marcos Giron bounced back from a tough run of results in style Thursday at the Chengdu Open. The American downed fifth seed and 2019 finalist Alexander Bublik 7-6(6), 6-3 to reach the second round at the Chinese ATP 250.

Faced with fast conditions ideally suited to Bublik’s big-serving, free-hitting game, Giron rallied from 0-2 and then crucially held firm to claim a see-saw first-set tie-break that featured seven mini-breaks. The World No. 64 carried that momentum to an ultimately unassailable 5-0 lead in the second set as he snapped a four-match losing streak at all levels in 101 minutes.

Solid performance 🪨@marcos_giron93 gets the better of Bublik 7-6(6), 6-3 and advances to the second round!@ChengduOpen | #ChengduOpen pic.twitter.com/h6d1rOUsAR

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 21, 2023

“Bublik obviously is an incredible player,” said Giron, who now leads Bublik 3-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “He has so much potential, so much weaponry, and you never know really what’s going to come.

“The first set really was a battle. It was so important. He had a lot of break points, but I played well when I needed to. He served well and that’s what he is [always] going to do, so I knew in the breaker he was not going to give it to me, and I’m really happy with that.”

Giron saved five of Bublik’s seven break points as he made the perfect start to defending the 150 Pepperstone ATP Ranking points he earned by reaching the San Diego final this week a year ago. The 30-year-old, who is now 19-22 for the 2023 season, will take on Arthur Rinderknech in the second round after the Frenchman downed lucky loser Tu Li 7-6(5), 7-6(6).

Jordan Thompson also upset a seeded opponent on Thursday. The Australian defeated his countryman Max Purcell 6-2, 7-6(8) after saving four set points in the second-set tie-break. Thompson’s reward for ousting the sixth-seeded Purcell is a maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Dusan Lajovic, who moved past Zizou Bergs 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

There was no such trouble for seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic, who eased to a 6-2, 6-3 win against qualifier Benjamin Lock to book a second-round meeting with Corentin Moutet. Christopher O’Connell and Juan Pablo Varillas also enjoyed straight-sets wins in their Chengdu openers. Australia’s O’Connell downed Alibek Kachmazov 7-6(3), 6-4, while Peru’s Varillas saw off home wild card Cui Jie 6-1, 6-3.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray moved through the gears on his return to China on Thursday when he defeated Chinese wild card Mo Ye Cong 7-5, 6-3 to reach the second round at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships.

The 36-year-old Scot has performed impressively in China throughout his career. He has won the Rolex Shanghai Masters three times (2010, ’11, ’16), triumphed at the ATP 500 in Beijing in 2016 and lifted the trophy at the ATP 250 in Shenzhen in 2014.

Competing in the country for the first time since 2019, Murray had too much for the World No. 668 Mo, saving all five break points he faced to maintain his record of never losing to a player outside the Top 200 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“It was a very fast court,” Murray said. “The conditions are very humid and he played a solid level and pushed me while I was trying to adjust to the conditions. Once I managed to get ahead in the second set, I felt a little bit more comfortable.”

Murray is aiming to rediscover his form at the hard-court event this week, having suffered a second-round exit at the US Open. The 46-time tour-level titlist is 15-12 on the year, highlighted by a final run in Doha.

Following his one-hour, 42-minute win, the Scot will next play Aslan Karatsev. The World No. 63 snapped a four-match losing streak against Italians when he downed Matteo Arnaldi, who reached the fourth round at the US Open.

Karatsev rallied from a set and a break down to advance 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-2 in three hours and 23 minutes in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

#NextGenATP Chinese star Shang Juncheng was unable to advance to the second round, falling to Mackenzie McDonald in his first tour-level event on home soil.

The sixth seed played with too much intensity against Shang, who seemed to tire in the humid conditions. McDonald captured a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 win in two hours and 32 minutes. The American has earned a career-best 29 tour-level victories this year. Seeking his maiden tour-level trophy, he will next play Kimmer Coppejans.

In other action, fifth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry moved past Australian qualifier Luke Saville 6-4, 6-4 to set a meeting with #NextGenATP Czech Dalibor Svrcina. Another Australian qualifier, Marc Polmans, had more success, though. Polmans defeated Dane Sweeny 6-3, 6-1 and will face second seed Cameron Norrie in the second round.

Coppejans beat Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6(4), 6-1, while Alex Bolt advanced after Diego Schwartzman was forced to retire with the Australian leading 6-3, 4-2.

Former Top 20 star Cristian Garin defeated Zhou Yi 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and Alexandre Muller overcame Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-2.

Legends Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe know each other all too well. The pair enjoyed a fierce rivalry between 1978 to 1981, facing off 14 times on some of the biggest stages on Tour.

There was little to separate them on court, with the Swede and American locked at 7-7 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. They met four times in major finals, with McEnroe triumphing at the US Open in 1980 and 1981 and at Wimbledon in 1981. Borg defeated the American in five sets in the Wimbledon final in 1980, a match widely considered one of the most compelling in the sport’s history.

Fast forward 42 years from their last meeting and both will battle for bragging rights again this weekend at the Laver Cup in Vancouver, Canada, where Borg captains Team Europe and McEnroe leads Team World.

Borg and McEnroe have helped spearhead the Laver Cup since its formation in 2017, captaining the teams at all five of the previous editions. Team Europe captain Borg has overseen four victories in the past, while McEnroe was at the helm for Team World in 2022 when they triumphed.

The pair were in a relaxed mood on Wednesday ahead of the latest event, sharing jokes with Australian great Rod Laver.

John McEnroe/Rod Laver/Bjorn Borg” style=”width: 100%;” />
_{^{Photo Credit: Getty Images}}
Ahead of the sixth edition of the Laver Cup, ATPTour.com looks back at each of Borg and McEnroe’s careers.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BORG

Wimbledon Record Breaker
Borg was the first man since 1886 to compete in six consecutive Wimbledon finals. He lifted the trophy in 1976, ‘77, ‘78, ‘79 and ’80 and lost in the final in 1981 against McEnroe. This was a record that was eventually surpassed by Roger Federer’s seven consecutive title matches at SW19 from 2003-09.

Swedish Star
Borg is the only Swede, male or female, to win over 10 majors. Alongside his five Wimbledon triumphs, he lifted the trophy at Roland Garros six times, holding a perfect record in finals at the clay-court Slam.

Borg The ‘Ice Man’
Borg’s nickname, “Ice Man”, reflected his attitude on the court: he seemed to have his emotions under control at all times. His game style, which involved heavy topspin and a two-handed backhand, was revolutionary and would be copied all around the world.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MCENROE

Singles & Doubles Specialist
McEnroe is the only player in history to hold the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking in singles and doubles at the same time. Stefan Edberg also attained No. 1 in both singles and doubles, but not simultaneously.

Nitto ATP Finals Success
The American won the Nitto ATP Finals singles crown three times (1978, ’83, 84). He holds a 19-11 record at the prestigious year-end event, leaving him ninth in the all-time match wins leaders. He also won the doubles title a record seven times, triumphing alongside Peter Fleming in 1978, 79’, 80’, 81’, 82’, 83’ and 84’.

Fourth Youngest World No. 1
McEnroe is the fourth youngest player to rise to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The American was aged 21 years and 16 days when he rose to top spot for the first time in March 1980. Only Carlos Alcaraz, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin have climbed to the top younger.

As Karen Khachanov assessed the timing of a debilitating injury that left him struggling to walk after Roland Garros, the resurgent star weighed how best to approach the problem.

The 27-year-old was arguably in the best form of his career, having reached three consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals, and felt close to claiming “the cherry on the pie” in a major tournament. But a fracture in the sacrum bone in his back, along with significant pain in his pelvis, derailed him shortly after he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the last four in Paris in June.

“The tendons, all the attachments, the bone itself, it was also kind of a stress fracture. Both things were connected,” Khachanov said. “It all started from Australia. I had been playing well. I kept pushing. But then it got to the moment where I literally could not walk after the Roland Garros match with Novak.

“It was time. I could push to a certain moment, but it was a clear sign when I had pain to walk. That is when I had to stop.”

Khachanov, who will play his second tournament on the comeback trail this week at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships, was mindful the enforced break could be beneficial. The No. 15 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, who had returned to the Top 10 after his semi-final run at Roland Garros, was absent from the Tour until the US Open.

Rather than lamenting his misfortune, Khachanov seized the chance to spend more time with his family, with his second son born in July.

“It was kind of a setback, in a way, because I was in really good form and getting closer and closer and I proved it with my results. Most of all, I proved it to myself,” he said. “I was really feeling that I was getting closer to the cherry on the pie. But these things, sometimes you cannot control them, so you have to just accept it and make the best out of it. What could I do? Okay, ‘I (will) have an unexpected vacation with my family’.

“I have been a family man since a young age and I am just really happy that I have already had two kids, two sons. I just kind of loved this moment.”

Karen Khachanov” />

_{^{Khachanov meets children at a local school in Zhuhai. Photo Credit: ATP Zhuhai Championships}}

Winner at the Rolex Paris Masters in 2018, Khachanov was not at his best when he returned to the Tour at the US Open in New York, where he was beaten in the first round by Michael Mmoh. But he has since spent another three weeks training and is confident in his ability to regain his best form, saying the enforced break only heightened his motivation to succeed.

As the top seed in Zhuhai, he will play the winner of a clash on Thursday between Diego Schwartzman and Alex Bolt at the Hengqin International Tennis Center.

“I’m really pumped. I’m really burning inside to compete again,” Khachanov said. “At the same time, I need to keep my body in shape and know that I don’t have any pains with any movement, so that I can be fully practising at 100 per cent.

“Lately, that’s what has been happening. It’s a good sign that I don’t have any setbacks from that moment. I need to take a little time to get the form which I had before. I don’t know how much time it will take … but at the same time, I know that if I did it before, why not do it again?”

Khachanov, who won his first ATP Tour title in China in Chengdu in 2016, feels comfortable playing in the Asian region and is excited to make his debut in Zhuhai.

“It’s really great to be back here. I missed this Tour,” he said. “I like to play in Asia … and every year, it’s special to come back to China. Really, I am burning inside to compete again. I just hope my body feels well and then I hope I can start to bring the form back which I had before the injury.”

The China Open in Beijing, played at the site of the 2008 Olympic Games, has seen previous champions such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the tournament in the Chinese capital:

When is the China Open?

The ATP 500 event will be held from 28 September to 4 October. The hard-court tournament will take place at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Centre, a site built for the 2008 Olympics. The tournament directors are Alfred Zhang and Lars Graff.

Who is playing at the China Open?

Carlos Alcaraz will make his Beijing debut. Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also among the field.

When is the draw for the China Open?

The China Open singles draw will be made on Tuesday 26 September at 2:30 p.m. local time.

What is the schedule for the China Open?

* Qualifying: Tuesday, 26 September – Wednesday, 27 September at 11 a.m.
* Main Draw: Thursday, 28 September – Wednesday, 4 October, starting at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, 3 October play begins not before 3 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Wednesday, 4 October at 5 p.m.
* Singles Final: Wednesday, 4 October not before 7:30 p.m.

What is the prize money and points for the China Open?

The prize money for the China Open is US $3,633,875 and the Total Financial Commitment is US $3,798,915.

SINGLES
Winner: $679,550 / 500 points
Finalist: $365,640 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: $194,860 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: $99,560 / 90 points
Round of 16: $53,145 / 45 points
Round of 32: $28,345 / 0 points

DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: $223,210 / 500 points
Finalist: $119,050 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: $60,240 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: $30,110 / 90 points
Round of 16: $15,590 / 0 points

How can I watch the China Open?

Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

How can I follow the China Open?

Hashtag: #chinaopen
Facebook: China Open
Twitter: @ChinaOpen
Instagram: @chinaopen

Who won the last edition of the China Open in 2019?

Dominic Thiem won the 2019 China Open singles title with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the championship match. Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek lifted the doubles trophy in Beijing with a 6-3, 7-6(4) triumph against Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo in the final.

Who holds the China Open record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Novak Djokovic (6)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (3)
Oldest Champion: Rafael Nadal, 31, in 2017
Youngest Champion: Rafael Nadal, 19, in 2005
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Novak Djokovic in 2013-15, Rafael Nadal in 2017
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 34 Nikoloz Basilashvili in 2018
Last Home Champion: None
Most Match Wins: Novak Djokovic (29)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown