CAM ON FEEL THE NOISE
Rowdy crowd lifts Norrie as he stuns Ruud
CAM NORRIE said the crazy atmosphere in the John Cain Arena helped him charge to the best win of his Grand Slam career.
The brilliant British No.1 abandoned his grinding baseline style and took the attack to world No.11 Casper Ruud (below).
And roared on by the vocal crowd, the last British player left in the singles extended his stay by winning 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-3 to reach the Australian Open fourth round for the first time.
The third court in Melbourne Park is the favourite arena here for Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios because ground-ticket holders can gain entry.
Chants of “Norrie, Norrie” were mixed with the cry of “Ruuuuud” as the beers flowed.
And Norrie said: “It was good fun. It was a great atmosphere and I was really enjoying it from start to finish. I embraced the atmosphere.
“I could tell everyone had a few drinks on a Saturday afternoon! Maybe a little bit later on could have been a bit too much, but it was good to see everyone enjoying themselves.
“They were behind me, as well, so I think that definitely played a factor in the match.
“I think one guy was saying, ‘Come on Nozz Dog’, every kind of five minutes.
“Hopefully I’m back on that court again for the next match.”
He will next face the even bigger challenge of Alex Zverev after the world No.6 and Olympic champion beat
American teenager Alex Michelsen 6-2 7-6 6-2.
The highest-ranked player Norrie beat on the way to the 2022 Wimbledon semi-final was world No.32 Tommy Paul in the fourth round. And his biggest previous scalp at a Major had been No.13 Diego Schwartzman at the 2022 US Open.
“In terms of performances, it was up there with one of my best in a Grand Slam,” said Norrie.
“I haven’t played that well for a while. I think it came down to just enjoying it and going for it.” Norrie hit 63 winners and won the point 41 out of the 56 times he came to the net. He said the aggressive game plan was designed for Ruud after losing all three of his previous meetings to the three-time Grand Slam finalist.
“I really had to take a few more risks today,” he added. “I had to play brave. I really enjoyed it. I stuck to my game plan and got through. I was working hard in the off-season to be a little more aggressive. I played really free. I loved it.”
Ruud said: “He played smart and neutralised my game well. He had most of the initiative throughout the match, which is something that I didn’t like. He played better today than I think he has in the previous matches.”
Former Wimbledon referee Alan Mills, nicknamed Rain Main for appearing with bad weather, has died at the age of 88. The former Davis Cup player and Wimbledon doubles semifinalist was the top official at SW19 from 1983 to 2005.