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Cameron Norrie achieved the biggest win of his professional journey by coming back from a early deficit to overcome world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz with a stunning comeback in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Even though he had earlier overcome Alcaraz on two separate matches, this triumph marks Norrie's initial win over a sitting world No 1.

"Enormous. So big for me," commented Norrie, who joins as the fifth UK male player in the record books to defeat a top-ranked player. "Bouncing back from injury last year, I lost in the initial match of qualifiers here. I just sought to enjoy my game in the second half of the year. To secure a victory like this, it's the biggest victory of my career, my initial victory over the top player and probably the most in-form player in the tennis scene right now."

Norrie, ranked 31st in the world, also stopped Alcaraz's dominant streak of nine consecutive finals and 17 successive Masters 1000 victories, which was the best series of results in the Spanish star's developing career.

Game Overview

The top seed appeared to be advancing smoothly to a win early on as he cruised in the opening set. Yet, the British contender steadily fought his way into the match by executing with sharper placement and dragging the Spaniard into lengthy, demanding exchanges. His unceasing consistency and dependability gradually took its toll.

Through most of the battle, Alcaraz performed well on serve but he had difficulty to locate his rhythm on his baseline shots. The young star looked especially uneasy hitting his primary weapon, which has been the top weapon in the game for most of this season, producing 29 forehand unforced errors and a combined of 54 errors. On the other side, Norrie presented his opponent very few errors, maintaining his reliability, fitness and penetration the entire contest while performing well on serve and choosing his moments to move forward and attack well.

Decisive Phase

In the tense final games, Norrie brilliantly maintained his nerve to overcome the top competitor in the sport.

Professional Background

Following battling for an extended period due to a significant left forearm injury and difficulties with his game, Norrie fell as low as No 91 this season. Following appearances in the last eight at the grass-court major and the Roland Garros round of 16 after that, this victory highlights the veteran's development as he attempts to return to the top 20 and further. Alcaraz, notwithstanding his extraordinary success, is has not yet figure out how to display his finest performance in indoor conditions.