ATP Tour: Cameron Norrie remains on course to defend Rio Open title
![Cameron Norrie at the 2023 French Open](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.planetsport.com%2Fimage-library%2Fland%2F700%2Fc%2Fcameron-norrie-at-the-2023-french-open.webp&w=3840&q=75)
British hopeful Cameron Norrie - who is yet to drop a set at the 2024 Rio Open - is through to the quarter-finals of the ATP 500 event.
The British number one won last year's tournament in Brazil and his path to repeating his glory opened up earlier in the week when top seed Carlos Alcaraz withdrew because of injury.
And he made light work of Chilean Tomas Barrios Vera on the clay, dropping just two games in a 6-1 6-1 victory.
Barrios Vera, ranked 120 in the world, was no match for the Norrie, who overcame an early exchange of breaks to reel off four successive games and win the first set.
Another run of four games on the spin was enough to get the job done with little fuss to set up a quarter-final meeting with Thiago Seyboth Wild.
"I really played well and was accurate, I hit the lines and was able to control the games," Norrie said on Sky Sports.
"I enjoyed it, last night waiting around, it rained a lot and I had to come out and reset and I was able to do that so I was really pleased.
"I am going to keep focusing on myself and my level and I want to make sure I take care of my matches like that.
"It's tough, it's humid, there's been a lot of rain and the clay is heavy. It's not easy out here but I feel like I can play well when the matches go long."
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