Briton Cameron Norrie said he was ‘sleeping on court’ as he pushed through sickness to narrowly escape defeat in the first round of the Madrid Open.
Formerly the British number one, Norrie has slipped down rankings as he hit a rough patch of form over the last year, but fought through illness to beat 19-year-old Spaniard Martin Landaluce 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-4 to progress in the tournament.
He lost five straight games in the first set and pulled himself back from the brink late in the second as he survived a match point thanks to Landaluce’s missed forehand.
He recovered to win set two in a tiebreaker before edging ahead in the decider.
After the match, Norrie told Sky Sports the win would live long in the memory: "It's maybe one of my favourite wins. I was feeling absolutely terrible, I wasn't sure I was going to play, I had no energy, didn't sleep at all last night.
"I started very low energy, sleeping on the court still. I had to create my own energy.
“He actually played really well, I know he's a really good player, so I had to fight every point."
Of his illness, he said: "It's terrible timing but at least I have another day tomorrow to rest. Hopefully it will pass pretty quickly.”
Norrie will face Czech contender Jiri Lehecka in the second round as he looks to prepare for the French Open.
