British number one Cameron Norrie produced his finest display in recent months to beat 11th seed Casper Ruud and reach the Australian Open fourth round for the first time.

Norrie, seeded 19th, played aggressively and smartly in a 6-4 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 6-3 win in Melbourne.

The 28-year-old will face German sixth seed Alexander Zverev or American teenager Alex Michelsen on Monday.

“Honestly it is so special,” Norrie said about reaching the last 16.

Norrie is the only Briton remaining in either singles draw.

Beating three-time Grand Slam finalist Ruud means Norrie is the first British player to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park since Kyle Edmund in 2018.

“I had to play really brave and almost won that second set, but I didn’t let it bother me and it was a good mental performance,” added Norrie.

“I stuck to my gameplan and I came through. I’ve been working hard in the off season to be a little more aggressive and managed to do that.”

After rising through the rankings over the past few seasons and becoming a fixture in the world’s top 20, Norrie found himself having to negotiate a rare difficult spell last year.

The left-hander did not go past the third round at any of the four Grand Slams, going on to lose 10 of his 12 matches after the US Open in a miserable end to the season.

Norrie later admitted he felt burned out from a consistently hectic schedule since 2020.

He decided to take a break from the ATP Tour by withdrawing from the Paris Masters in October and, after playing for Britain in the Davis Cup, started his pre-season programme with some hiking in the French Alps.

The trip with fitness trainer Vasek Jursik served a dual purpose – it provided mental freshness and built a solid fitness base for the season ahead.

Norrie described the trip as a challenge which took him out of his comfort zone.

But his impressive start to 2024, beating in-form Australian world number 10 Alex de Minaur before adding another notable scalp in Ruud, seems to indicate it has paid dividends.

More to follow.