Indian Wells final - Cameron Norrie v Nikoloz Basilashvili as it happened
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Updated 18/10/2021 at 01:51 GMT
There will be a new British No 1 next week after Cameron Norrie's incredible run at the tournament in what continues to be an astonishing year for the journeyman, who has again surprised everyone with his electric form.
'Biggest match of my career again' - Norrie ahead of Indian Wells final
GAME, SET AND MATCH! – NORRIE 3-6 6-4 6-1 BASILASHVILI
He’s done it! Norrie serves it out with ease to win his first Masters 1000 title and becomes first Brit to triumph at Indian Wells.
BREAK! – NORRIE 3-6 6-4 5-1 BASILASHVILI
That’s a shocker of a forehand volley and it gives Norrie the double break. He will now serve for the title.
NORRIE 3-6 6-4 4-1 BASILASHVILI
Two away. Niko keeps hitting huge but he’s not landing the blows he’s hoping for. Norrie keeps him at arm’s length and maintains his advantage.
NORRIE 3-6 6-4 3-1 BASILASHVILI
The title was almost within touching distance. Norrie has the double break point snatched away from him and a sweeping forehand sees Basilashvili through from deuce to get on the board.
NORRIE 3-6 6-4 3-0 BASILASHVILI
What. A. Hold. Norrie battles back from 0-40 to consolidate from deuce. Massive from the soon to be British No.1.
BREAK! – NORRIE 3-6 6-4 2-0 BASILASHVILI
Cam is flying now. His consistency is rattling Niko, who skews a backhand into the tramlines to cough up the early break in Set 3.
NORRIE 3-6 6-4 1-0 BASILASHVILI
Norrie maintains the momentum and hits the front! Can he complete a fine recovery here and gets his hands on that trophy?
SET! - NORRIE 3-6 6-4 BASILASHVILI
Quite sensational! Norrie produces a wonderful stun volley and then a pass up the line on the run to pile on the pressure. Basilashvili keeps going for his shots but misses with a couple of forehands and Cam breaks to take us into a decider!
NORRIE 3-6 5-4 BASILASHVILI
That’s routine and an ideal time to do it. Norrie cranks up the heat and Niko knows any slip now will cost him the set.
NORRIE 3-6 4-4 BASILASHVILI
Cam continues to try and up the ante but his opponent stands firm from deuce to reach parity once more.
NORRIE 3-6 4-3 BASILASHVILI
‘Come on!’ is the shout from Cam as he lures Niko into a tricky volley that he dumps low into the net. It completes a recovery from 15-30 down for the Brit and sees him maintain the scoreboard advantage.
NORRIE 3-6 3-3 BASILASHVILI
That’s a big, big hold. Niko seems to have struggled with a slight increase in the wind and he has to work hard and say patient to fend off another break point and level from deuce.
NORRIE 3-6 3-2 BASILASHVILI
Norrie’s nose is in front. The Brit looked in real trouble but has steadied the ship with a little help from Basilashvili.
BREAK! – NORRIE 3-6 2-2 BASILASHVILI
Niko’s purple patch comes to a resounding halt. A trio of unforced errors off his beast of a forehand offer Cam a much-needed lifeline and he duly breaks back.
BREAK! – NORRIE 3-6 1-2 BASILASHVILI
The match is running away from Norrie now. He races into the net trying to be positive defending another break point but glides a low volley well wide. Basilashvili is a set and a break to the good.
NORRIE 3-6 1-1 BASILASHVILI
The power is just ripping through Cam’s game-plan now. He surges through another confident hold to level with ease.
NORRIE 3-6 1-0 BASILASHVILI
Cam stops the rot and gives it a cool fist pump as he kicks off Set 2 with a much-needed hold to 15.
SET! - NORRIE 3-6 BASILASHVILI
Wow. Basilashvili turns on the after burners at 3-1 down and rattles through five games in a row to take the opener in 30 minutes.
BREAK! – NORRIE 3-5 BASILASHVILI
Norrie swishes his racket several times in frustration as he glides a backhand on the stretch wide on break point. Basilashvili is firmly in the driving seat now and will serve for the set.
NORRIE 3-4 BASILASHVILI
The momentum has evidently switched the way of the 29-year-old world No.36. He breezes through a love hold to make it three games on the spin.
BREAK! – NORRIE 3-3 BASILASHVILI
Niko finds more venom on the return game and Cam begins to falter. The Georgian snares a break point and the Brit comes unstuck, throwing down a double fault to gift him the break back.
NORRIE 3-2 BASILASHVILI
The pace is rapid out there. Basilashvili looks to have settled more now and gives himself a boost with a hold to 15 that keeps him firmly in contention.
NORRIE 3-1 BASILASHVILI
Norrie is looking so good out there as he emphatically consolidates to love.
BREAK! – NORRIE 2-1 BASILASHVILI
Lift off for Cam! The Brit is as solid as a rock from the baseline and Basilashvili is already looking a tad frustrated. Some rash errors leak off the Georgian’s racket and he pretty much gifts Norrie an early breakthrough.
NORRIE 1-1 BASILASHVILI
Snap. Norrie follows suit with a rapid and rather confident hold to 15.
NORRIE 0-1 BASILASHVILI
Niko makes a solid start as he backs up some strong serving with blistering groundstrokes from the baseline that have been the hallmark of his run here.
H2H
Norrie boasts a 1-0 lead in the match-up having defeated the World No. 36 in Rotterdam in March.
DID YOU KNOW?
Norrie or Basilashvili will become the sixth different player to win a Masters 1000 title this season, joining Hubert Hurkacz, Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev (twice), Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev.
GAME, SET AND MATCH! – AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 6-7 BADOSA
The 23-year-old has done it! She wins the biggest title of her career to become the first Spanish woman to lift this trophy. She prevails 7-2 in the tie break to deny Azarenka a record-breaking third title after an epic three hour and four minute tussle.
AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 6-6 BADOSA
The title will be delighted by a tie break! Azarenka keeps her nerve to hold to 15.
AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 5-6 BADOSA
It’s a hold to 15 and Badosa’s title hopes are very much alive. Vika will now serve to stay in it just moments after being two points from the title.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 5-5 BADOSA
It’s a disaster for Vika and on we go! She looks in charge at 30-0 but a quartet of unforced errors gift Badosa a way back into it.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 5-4 BADOSA
Is that going to be decisive? Azarenka produces more magnificent defence to make deuce and lure the errors from her opponent to break. She will now serve for the title but Badosa will be fuming with herself after a double fault at 40-15 gave her opponent a lifeline.
AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 4-4 BADOSA
More sensational tennis. Azarenka reaches parity by concluding a wonderful rally with a superb winner up the line.
AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 3-4 BADOSA
Could this match get any better? Azarenka has a huge opportunity at 0-30 but corks a forehand just long. Badosa seizes upon the reprieve and keeps her nose in front with a sensational pass up the line.
AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 3-3 BADOSA
Love hold and all square. The tension is palpable. Who is going to grab the late initiative and clinch this title?
AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 2-3 BADOSA
What a game, what a match, what a hold! Badosa conjures up an ace to edge it from deuce after Azarenka had thrown the kitchen sink at her trying to convert two break points.
AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 2-2 BADOSA
Vika consolidates with a game to 30 and this final remains anyone’s to win!
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 1-2 BADOSA
How has she won that game? Azarenka drags herself back into contention from 40-15 down and knocks on the door before the unrelenting pressure gets to the Spaniard. A second double fault of the game coughs up a third break point and she follows it by sweeping a crosscourt backhand just wide. Vika bites back – again!
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 0-2 BADOSA
Another twist! Badosa has found her A-game just in time as she breaks at the second time of asking after Azarenka had fluffed a volley into the net.
AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 0-1 BADOSA
That could well be important. Badosa looks forlorn at 0-30 but finds her best form at just the right moment to reel off four points and get Set 3 off to a positive start.
SET! – AZARENKA 6-7 6-2 BADOSA
Badosa holds to pose the serve-out question but Vika duly offers a swift answer to take this final into a decider with an ace and a blistering first serve easing her over the line.
AZARENKA 6-7 5-1 BADOSA
A decider beckons. Azarenka moves to within one game of forcing it with a rapid love hold.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-7 4-1 BADOSA
That’s quite sensational. Azarenka fights back from 40-15 down and produces arguably the shot of the match with a ridiculous angled pick-up on the run on her way to restoring the double break.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-7 3-1 BADOSA
Hold the phone! Badosa stops the rot as she nicks one break back with more powerhouse hitting minus the unforced errors that have blighted her start to this second set.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-7 3-0 BADOSA
That’s so impressive from the former world number one. Badosa leaks some errors as she clearly suffers a lull from the high of that first set and before she knows it she’s a double break down.
AZARENKA 6-7 2-0 BADOSA
Azarenka consolidates from deuce via a delightful drop shot. She’s definitely upped the ante since the blow of losing that tie break.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-7 1-0 BADOSA
That’s how champions respond! Vika continually punches the air with her fist to pump herself up and is soon bellowing with delight as a stonking backhand up the line earns her an instant break at the start of Set 2.
SET! – AZARENKA 6-7 BADOSA
Badosa moves to within a set of the biggest title of her career. The No.21 seed almost throws away a 4-0 lead but manages to keep Azarenka at bay from 5-5, outlasting the two-time champion in what proved to be an epic final point to take the TB 7-5.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 6-6 BADOSA
Wow! That is incredible defence from the two-time champion. She’s staring down the barrel at 30-30 with the point very much on Badosa’s racket. Somehow the Belarusian scraps her way out of danger to snatch a break point before ore scrambling sees her force a tie break!
BREAK! – AZARENKA 5-6 BADOSA
Azarenka comes under intense pressure but can’t fire her way out of trouble this time. She slams a make-able forehand wide to cough up a third break point of the game and then hooks another one into the tramlines. Badosa will now serve for the set.
AZARENKA 5-5 BADOSA
Frustration for the two-time major winner. She has a big chance at 15-30 but fires three avoidable unforced errors in a row to allow Paula to keep the set alive.
AZARENKA 5-4 BADOSA
Clutch tennis once more! Azarenka almost comes unstuck when she lobs long after sublime defence from Badosa. It chalks up a break point for the Spaniard, but she cannot convert as the Belarusian finds a way through from deuce to apply some serious scoreboard pressure.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 4-4 BADOSA
The two-time champions bites right back! There’s plenty of fist-pumping as she notches up two more break points. This time she converts with a wonderful crosscourt return and we are all square once again.
BREAK! – AZARENKA 3-4 BADOSA
The Spaniard finds some big serves to hold to 30 before turning up the heat on Vika. Two break points come along once again but this time she makes it count with a rasping return on the first attempt. The 23-year-old strikes first blood in the final!
AZARENKA 3-2 BADOSA
That’s a fine hold. A scorching crosscourt backhand puts Azarenka in the ascendancy and she finishes off a solid game to 15 with an ace down the T.
AZARENKA 2-2 BADOSA
Clutch! Badosa scrambles back from 15-40 to dig her way out of trouble once more. Her precision power in the baseline exchanges proves too good to leave Vika frustrated once more.
AZARENKA 2-1 BADOSA
‘You like playing clutch under pressure? I can do it too,” says Azarenka as her second service game is almost a replica of Badosa’s opener. The Belarusian survives three break points before edging out the hold from deuce after another lengthy exchange. We could be here some time if these two keep this up.
AZARENKA 1-1 BADOSA
Talk about resistance. Badosa shows real grit and determination to repel Azarenka’s early examination of her serve in a nine-minute epic. It takes five deuces and she staves off three break points but the Spaniard eventually comes through to level.
AZARENKA 1-0 BADOSA
That’s a tidy service game to get things underway from Vika. She volleys long on the opening point but lands a flurry of first serves to maraud through the next four and get on the board.
Welcome, welcome
Welcome to our live updates of both the ATP and WTA finals from the 2021 Indian Wells Masters in California.
There will be a new British No 1 next week after Cameron Norrie's incredible run at the tournament in what continues to be an astonishing year for the journeyman, who has again surprised everyone with his electric form.
He is currently in 12th place in the standings, 765 points behind Hubert Hurkacz, who currently holds the last qualifying spot. But if Norrie wins the title he will only be 125 points behind Hurkacz.
But before that, the resurgent Victoria Azarenka will be facing off against Paula Badosa in the WTA final - who are you backing to win each showpiece?
Norrie's incredible year
Norrie, who is set to become the new British No 1 after the tournament, should have enough ranking points to break into the world's top 20 for the first time in his career.
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Norrie dominates Dimitrov 6-2 6-4 to reach Indian Wells Open final
Asked about overtaking Dan Evans to become British No 1, Norrie said: “It was never really a goal of mine, but it’s definitely a great bonus to be British No 1.
“I want to keep pushing. I think I’ve got a lot of things to improve on, but I think it’s one of those things you’ve got to enjoy.
“Yeah, it’s nice to show some of the hard work from Facu [coach Facundo Lugones] and I that have been putting in over the last kind of five years after college. It’s showing, and it’s been a lot of fun.
“I’m just really pleased to be playing my best level at these bigger events. I’m just enjoying the process and enjoying playing the bigger matches. There is always going to be a bigger match and a bigger opportunity. I was just happy with how I handled myself in terms of the situation.”
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