Indian Wells 2023: Cameron Norrie beats Taro Daniel to reach fourth round
British number one Cameron Norrie came from behind to beat Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel on Sunday and reach the last 16 at Indian Wells.
The 10th seed was a set and 4-1 down in California but won the next five games before clinching the second set.
The 2021 champion, 27, then saw out the decider to claim a 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-2 win over the US-born Daniel, 30.
“I’m happy to be riding the wave right now but I still have a lot of things to work on,” said Norrie.
The world number 12 now has 20 wins this season and upset top seed Carlos Alcaraz to win his fifth overall ATP title at the Rio Open last month.
Norrie’s only previous Masters 1000 title came at Indian Wells in 2021 and his latest visit will continue against either the sixth seed Andrey Rublev of Russia or France’s Ugo Humbert.
“It was not the prettiest of matches today, but I’ll take it,” Norrie added.
“I should have won that first set. [I had] lots of chances and I think it carried over a bit into the second set.
“But I was able to really play point for point and then really come back and play some of my best tennis.”
Alcaraz is again the top seed in California and he beat Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 6-3 to set up a third-round clash with Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.
The 19-year-old Spaniard must win the title to regain the world number one spot from Serb Novak Djokovic, who withdrew as he is unable to enter the US because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19.
Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin shocked Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-4 7-6 (7-2) to hand the world number four another setback in a disappointing season.
But there were no worries for the seventh seed, Denmark’s Holger Rune, who beat American Mackenzie McDonald 7-5 6-3 while the ninth seed, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, beat Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 6-3 6-3.
In the women’s draw, third seed Jessica Pegula of the USA came back for a 3-6 6-4 7-5 win over Russia’s Anastasia Potapova to reach the fourth round.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur progressed to the third round, with the fourth seed also regrouping to win 4-6 6-4 6-1 against Magdalena Frech of Poland.