Nikoloz Basilashvili played a brilliant event in
Indian Wells reaching his first ATP 1000 Masters final but he failed to close out the match after winning the first set losing in end.
It looked very good early on for Basilashvili in the Indian Wells final with the Georgian taking the first set with 6-1. Everything in his game was clicking and when it is that way he is tough to beat. One of the hardest hitters in modern tennis, Basilashvili was blasting winners early on but he could not sustain that level and once he started missing Norrie was able to turn it around. After the match, Nikoloz admitted that he was not feeling that well in the 3rd set:
"I dunno, I was feeling tight. I had some health problems so I tried to step out in the 3rd to take a breath but I could not recover. I had it already little in previous matches and now it was too severe. I will not say what it is but I did not feel good."
Basilashvili was not pressed about what the issue in question was but his play eroded completely in the 3rd set which he ultimately lost with 1-6. Basilashvili gracefully complimented Norrie for the comeback win, saying:
"Cameron, he came back in the 2nd set, he deserves it, he is tough mentally. I could not find a way in the 2nd set to beat him. But it's okay."
Basilashvili underlined that he has learnt a lot in these past two weeks and he will just continue working and doing what he's doing and it will translate to success. He simply said: "I'm playing good tennis." And for the better part of the final, he was but it was not enough.