British number one Cameron Norrie booked his spot in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open with a routine 6-4 6-3 win over Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round.
After receiving a bye into the second round and surviving a second-set collapse against France's Hugo Mayot due to the Frenchman's retirement, Norrie hit a milestone achievement in his one-hour and 24-minute clash with Bautista Agut.
The former Wimbledon semi-finalist now boasts 200 wins on the ATP Tour - an achievement he admitted he was unaware of reaching after the match - and he will face either Tomas Martin Etcheverry or Brandon Nakashima for a place in the semis.
Here, Sports Mole breaks down how Norrie hit his double century on Thursday morning.
First set
Neither Norrie nor Bautista Agut endured much difficulty in their opening service games, both achieving holds to 15 - even though the Briton double faulted on his first point - but his Spanish foe folded behind his racquet soon after.
The first point of the third game saw Norrie finish a 26-shot rally with an incredible whipped forehand down the line, and the world number 31 brought up two chances to break Bautista Agut for the first time, converting his first for a 2-1 lead.
However, the home favourite responded emphatically with a break back to love for 2-2, but following two holds for the fierce competitors, Norrie's pressure told in the seventh, where he wasted two break points before making it third time lucky.
Love holds were still eluding the British number one, but he only required one set point to conclude a 43-minute opener.
Similar story in second set
Cam Norrie is through to the Barcelona quarter-finals after winning in straight sets 🔥👏
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) April 18, 2024
Can he go all the way? 💭 pic.twitter.com/sB9R9v3UbC
While both men opened the match with holds in the first set, Norrie picked up where he left off at the start of the second with a rapid-fire break for a 1-0 lead, but history briefly repeated itself for the 28-year-old.
Indeed, Bautista Agut - eight years Norrie's senior - posted another break back to love straight away, although the world number 84 failed to back up his instant reply, losing serve to 15 in the third successive break.
In contrast, Norrie was able to move further in the ascendancy, and despite committing a couple more double faults as the match entered its dying embers, the Briton was untroubled on serve.
With Bautista Agut serving to stay in the contest, Norrie fashioned his first match point, and the 28-year-old witnessed the Spaniard return his powerful cross-court forehand slightly beyond the baseline to confirm his spot in the last eight.
Statistics - Norrie continues winning streak against Bautista Agut
By eliminating one of the home favourites from the Barcelona Open, Norrie made it three wins from three ATP Tour meetings with Bautista Agut, whom he also overcame at the 2018 Davis Cup - on clay - and the 2021 Indian Wells Masters en route to the title.
The former Grand Slam semi-finalist racked up 20 winners over the course of the match - nine more than Bautista Agut - although he hit slightly more unforced errors, 25 compared to 21.
Three of those mistakes were double faults, and Norrie was also down on first serves landed with 57% compared to the 36-year-old's 67%, although he won 73% of points behind his first serve and struck four aces.
In addition, Norrie won 11 of his 13 points at the net took five of the seven chances he created to break Bautista Agut, albeit while also failing to save either of the Spaniard's.
Ben Knapton
