Britain’s Cameron Norrie failed to make the final of the Lyon Open after a 6-1 7-6 (8-6) defeat by experienced Frenchman Gilles Simon.

Norrie, 22, had claimed the biggest win of his career by beating world number 10 John Isner in the quarter-finals.

But the world number 102 was beaten in straight sets on the clay-court by 75th-ranked Simon.

Norrie struggled with his serve in the first, but took the second to a tie-break before blowing two set points.

Simon will face Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic or top seed Dominic Thiem in the final.

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British number three Norrie is expected to rise up the rankings after a positive week in France, reach a ranking of 85 as he enters the French Open next week.

He had never played a professional match on red clay until he featured in the Davis Cup in February.

But after a first set in which he lost his serve three times, the left-hander fought his way back into the semi-final.

The second set played out without a single break of serve as Norrie matched home favourite Simon, before the match slipped away in the tie-break.

Elsewhere, James Ward is through to the semi-finals of the ATP Challenger Tour in Loughborough after Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili retired in the second set with the Briton leading 7-5 5-4.