For 30 magical minutes, we all dared to dream... but Cam couldn’t keep nerveless Novak down
CAMERON Norrie’s hopes of becoming the first Briton to reach the Wimbledon final in six years were dashed last night.
Despite Norrie clinching the first set of the biggest match of his life, the will of the nation was not enough to get him past defending champion Novak Djokovic in a riveting four-set Centre Court battle.
The packed show court chanted ‘Norrie! Norrie! Norrie!’ at every opportunity, and the 26-year- old British No 1’s stunning start had the country dreaming of a home victory for a magical 30 minutes.
But six-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic fought back, turning the tide to secure a place in his 32nd Grand Slam final with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
A disappointed Norrie said he felt he had rattled the Wimbledon veteran in his first Grand Slam semi-final.
‘It was a tough, tough match. I obviously started pretty well,’ he said.
‘He was a little bit nervous from what I could see. He managed to draw up his arrows and really play solid the last three sets and he made it difficult for me. It was the biggest match of my career... I think I was running a lot, put a lot of balls in the court.
‘I felt like he was a bit nervous. He wasn’t serving as well as I’ve seen him serve. I was winning all the rallies and winning all the longer points. It was a solid set.
‘I knew that I had to keep raising the level to have a chance. A semi-final, my first Grand
‘He’s playing the tournament of his life’
Slam, when you take the set 6-2, you take that... it was a good start, but it wasn’t enough.’
South African-born and New Zealand-raised Norrie said that despite not getting the result he wanted, he had been buoyed by the support and the ‘great atmosphere’.
‘The crowd was obviously way behind me,’ he said. ‘I think, for the most part, I used it to my advantage. I think a couple times there at the end, it looked like he was getting a bit distracted with the crowd.’
Norrie would have been the first Briton to make a singles final at Wimbledon since Andy Murray’s victory in 2016.
Djokovic, 35, was greeted with a mixed reaction from the crowd yesterday, with many booing him before giving Norrie a standing ovation as he left the court after the match. The much-anticipated semi-final was played out in temperatures approaching 30C (86F) over a riveting 2hrs 34mins.
The hottest day of the championships so far resulted in 26 fans requiring treatment for heat-related illnesses over the course of the day.
With the sun beating down on Centre Court, the roof was partially closed, providing shelter from the heat to the Royal Box, whose guests included Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
While 15,000 spectators packed out the show court to watch the match, thousands of spectators clambered on to Murray Mound to catch the action on the big screen.
As the hill – which some say should now be known as Norrie Knoll – reached capacity, it had to be closed to further spectators on health and safety grounds. Instead, Wimbledon bosses took the unusual decision to open up Court 2 where they screened the match for fans.
Norrie had carried the hopes of the nation after becoming just the fourth home player in the Open era to make the last four in the men’s singles at SW19. He was supported by his American girlfriend Louise Jacobi and his parents, Helen and David, who had flown over from their home in New Zealand.
After his triumph, Djokovic admitted he had struggled with the heat and that Norrie had been the ‘best player for the first set’.
‘He is playing the tournament of his life. He is a great player. I have a lot of respect for him,’ the Serbian star added.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner and tournament top seed now faces controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster final tomorrow.
Djokovic promised ‘a lot of fireworks’ in the final against an opponent who he has never won a set off, adding: ‘Hopefully it will be different this time.’
Djokovic was asked what he had been ‘inhaling’ from a bottle during the match and throughout the Championships.
Laughing off the question, he said: ‘Magic potion... it helps’, before promising to reveal more soon.