Cameron Norrie was denied a sixth ATP Tour title as he lost the final of the Moselle Open to Benjamin Bonzi.
Norrie was hoping to end what has been a disappointing year in style by claiming his first title since 2023 but came unstuck against the Frenchman in Metz.
Bonzi won 7-6 (6) 6-4 to win a maiden title at the third attempt.
“It’s been very tough year, I was not expecting a success like that,” he said during his courtside interview.
“It was a very tough battle, I kept going until the end.
“I was playing in the last weeks to get ready for 2025, it is a crazy end to a crazy year.”
The match probably hinged on a marathon game midway through the first set.
After an exchange of breaks to make it 4-4, Norrie once again got his teeth stuck into Bonzi’s serve and forced nine break points.
However, he could not convert any of them and then ended up losing the first set on a tiebreak.
An early break at 1-1 in the second set put Norrie on the rack and he was unable to recover as Bonzi claimed a straight-sets victory.
Norrie’s run to the final does at least seem him return to the top 50, having ended last year in 18th.