Jack Draper may well be the future of British men's tennis but Cameron Norrie gave a timely reminder yesterday that he is still around and, it seems, would quite like his British No 1 ranking back. In a match between the country's top two, Norrie produced one of his best performances of the year as he clinched a 7-6(3), 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over the current No 1 to reach the third round for only the second time.
A semi-finalist two years ago, Norrie edged a tight first set thanks to a fast start in the tie-break. In the first clash between the British No 1 and No 2 in a grand slam event since Tim Henman beat Greg Rusedski at the Australian Open in 2002, Norrie's greater grass-court experience and nous made the difference. He cruised through the second set and then recovered from 5-3 down in the third to wrap up a convincing victory.
"Jack's been playing so well and we're such good friends off the court," Norrie said. "We had to put that aside today. I was pretty relaxed coming in, I was happy with my level and played really physical.
"I just wanted to keep trusting my movement, my legs. I've put in some really good practise, the level is there, It was nice to use it today and use my experience. I was a bit nervy toward the end of the tie-break but I managed to get it done."
Norrie had insisted that he was the underdog against Draper, even though he had won their previous two meetings. Draper won his first title in Stuttgart last month and beat the Wimbledon champion, Carlos Alcaraz, at Queen's Club, to be seeded in a slam for the first time, at No 28. Kidology or honesty, Norrie came out firing, fist pumping almost from the first point.
Denne historien er fra July 05, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 05, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Dovid Efune Why frontrunner to buy Telegraph is causing alarm
A little over a decade ago Dovid Efune was juggling the editorship of the New York-based Jewish publication the Algemeiner Journal while also handling publicity for Israel's first world boxing champion.
Starmer signals huge increase in UK green investment
Keir Starmer has signalled that his government will drastically increase its green investment plans in an attempt to avoid a rerun of 1980s-style industrial decline by safeguarding jobs in heartland manufacturing communities.
Bet365 saved up to £140m in tax from boss's charity fund
A charity set up by the billionaire boss of Bet365, Denise Coates, may have saved her online gambling empire more in tax than the foundation has so far given to good causes, a Guardian analysis suggests.
Evidence of boy's abuse prompts review of Menendez killers case
Prosecutors in Los Angeles are reviewing new evidence in the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez to determine whether they should be serving life sentences for killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion more than 35 years ago, the city's district attorney said Thursday.
Obama to hit the Harris campaign trail in blitz on key battlegrounds
Barack Obama will go on the road to campaign for Kamala Harris next week as she and her Republican challenger, Donald Trump, prepare to crisscross the battleground states that will probably decide the 2024 presidential election, now just one month away.
Packham joins activist body but says 'stop disruption'
Climate activists need to stop blocking roads and start holding fossil fuel executives personally to account, Chris Packham has said, shortly after being appointed to the board of one of the biggest activist funds in the world.
Antarctica 'greens' at dramatic rate as heating brings profound change to icy continent
Plant cover across the Antarctic Peninsula has soared more than tenfold over the last few decades, as the climate crisis heats up the icy continent.
Renaissance men Midlife makeovers steal the spotlight at Paris fashion shows
Twenty-something pop singers are usually the default stars of fashion week. But it was older men who unexpectedly stole the spotlight at the latest Paris shows.
Inquest into baby death in 2014 told of years of 'dishonesty' by hospital
A grieving mother has told an inquest how secretive, evasive and \"patronising\" behaviour by NHS staff was \"traumatic\" and led to her spending years seeking the truth about her daughter's death.
Royal Navy apologises for 'intolerable' misogyny exposed on submarines
The head of the Royal Navy has issued an unreserved apology for \"intolerable\" misogyny within the Submarine Service, after a slew of investigations exposed sexual harassment, bullying and assault of women within its ranks.
