Cameron Norrie's US Open journey is over, after the British star lost in straight sets 6-4 6-4, 6-4 to Russia's Andrey Rublev.
Defeat means Norrie's tournament in New York comes to an end at the round of 16 stage, as Rublev goes on to face either Frances Tiafoe or Rafael Nadal in the quarter-final. Heading into the match, the Brit had not dropped a set at the Grand Slam.
This comes after he saw off Benoit Paire, João Sousa and Holger Rune without a blemish at Flushing Meadows before falling to defeat against the 24-year-old Russian star. With just two places in the world rankings between them, things were expectedly tight early on between the duo.
After battling the opening eight games out at four apiece, a break of serve finally came in favour of the Russian though.
He managed to importantly unsettle Norrie to move 5-4 ahead, before holding serve one game later to take the opening set. Whilst the Englishman made a resilient start in the first set before his late blemish, the same could not be said in the second.
This time around Rublev was able to break serve early on in the third game to move 2-1 ahead and that was all that it took. Despite Norrie keeping himself well in the set, the battling Russian was in no mood to give up his advantage.
Midway through the second, the pair were forced to take a time out from their battling clash as the match was suspended with rain in the New York air. With the roof finally put on, Norrie was no doubt hoping the break would work in his favour but this was not to be.
Rublev would hold on throughout the second set following the restart, to leave Norrie frustrated and move himself two ahead and within a set of the quarter-final, after holding once again to win 6-4.
With Norrie now just a set away from heading home, the Englishman knew he needed to find a way to break the serve of the resilient Russian.
However, it was Norrie who would fall first in the third, as Rublev broke serve to move 3-2 ahead and closer to a last eight spot.
The Englishman though was not ready to roll over, as he broke back just one game later to claw himself back into the set. As he did throughout though, Rublev continued to have the edge and once again broke late on to all but end Norrie's hopes.
Moving 5-4 ahead, all the Russian needed to do was hold on to his serve and that he did, as he won a third straight set 6-4, to book his place in the quarter-final and move him within two victories of a treasured final spot.
