Cameron Norrie arrived in Paris with fire in his eyes and nothing to lose. Maybe more so, because up against world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, the Brit played the kind of fearless tennis that turns ATP Masters arenas into theatres of disbelief. After dropping the first set, Norrie steadied his nerves and began to pick apart the Spaniard’s rhythm. But momentum in tennis can be as fleeting as a perfect forehand winner.

Alcaraz, who was expected to rule the court after a 17-match winning streak, faltered as some unexpected errors piled up. Norrie seized the opportunity, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to enter the third round. There, Norrie, fresh off a strong win, faced Valentin Vacherot, fresh of his first Masters title. And in the end, momentum was on Vacherot’s side as the Brit’s Paris journey ended sooner than many expected.

However, there was another factor at play tilting the match in favor of the Monegasque: the French crowd made sure to make the arena particularly hostile for Norrie by repeatedly booing him throughout. By contrast, every time Vacherot won a point, a loud cheer echoed in the arena. But as this routine continued, Norrie couldn’t hold back. Right after going 30-0 in the eleventh game, he turned towards the crowd and lifted his arms.

But that action backfired.

The boos resumed, with greater intensity than before and Norrie struggled to find his rhythm. Ultimately, Vacherot took full advantage of the crowd’s energy, defeating Norrie 7-6, 6-4, and continuing his dream late season surge.

After the win Vacherot shared, “I’ve been training, trying, working, doing everything possible and everything is clicking now. It’s the work of many, many, many years even since my five years in college, my four years on tour, it’s pure work. I would have never thought that it would pay off this way, but I’m glad it is.”

His strong victory in the Shanghai Masters won him the wildcard entry to the Paris Masters, and Vacherot made the best of the opportunity, though ultimately fell to Canada’s Felix Auger Aliassime in the quarterfinal. But amidst the cheers and boos, he admitted how it was particularly tough for him to surpass the 30-year-old Briton.

How Valentin Vacherot out-thought Cameron Norrie to script a gritty Paris Masters breakthrough

Defeating Cameron Norrie, Valentin Vacherot secured his position in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters. What might have seemed like an easy win to spectators, Vacherot knew what a strong contender he was about to face before stepping into the arena. And he made sure to also prepare himself in a way that he can skillfully master to secure every point that would write his name as the winner. 

After the game, Vacherot shared with Sky Sports how he did not underestimate his rival. Reflecting on the strength of Norrie, he added, “His backhand is so tough. It stays so low to the ground. I am tall and I have to get so low.” 

It was a testament to all the work he’d put in during his training sessions falling into place “It was a really big performance,” Vacherot added. “I’m happy with how I handled the hot moments. Everything is clicking now. It’s the work of many years – pure work.”

With the crowd’s incessant and vocal displeasure playing soundtrack to the match, Vacherot remained gracious: “I thought he was really good.” He added further added, “We have trained a lot together, I know him. I was trying to hit my backhand really hard to his forehand, but I think he was responding really well today.”

“It does not bother me to have a lefty backhand coming to my forehand. It allows me to put some spin on it, but his sometimes doesn’t bounce, so I was trying to really quickly go back on to his forehand.” Though Auger Aliassime ended the dream run, Vacherot’s progress in the last few weeks has been immense.