Norrie has grand plans to be a slam contender
NEW British No.1 Cameron Norrie wants to use his brilliant run to the final of one of the world’s biggest tournaments as a springboard for greater success at grand slams.
The 26-year-old reached the final in Indian Wells with an emphatic 6-2, 6-4 win over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and was due to meet Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili overnight in the decider, hoping to become the first British player to take the title.
Having entered this tournament ranked 26th, he is now certain to crack the top 20 after his semi-final win.
Norrie is hoping his strong performance at this event – and an impressive year on the ATP Tour – will help him become a more dangerous player at the world’s big four tournaments next year, having never made it into a second week of a major.
‘I’ve had some opportunities there to make the second week of a slam but it’s not gone my way,’ said Norrie after beating 28th-ranked Dimitrov.
‘It’s all been great learning for me. Hopefully with these results I can put myself in a higher seeding there, then maybe have some more chances.
‘I’ve faced some pretty decent players this year in the third round (at the slams). Those experiences have been great for me, those big matches.’
Norrie suffered third-round losses to Rafael Nadal at this year’s Australian Open and French Open, and to Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
But he has also enjoyed his finest year on the circuit, winning his first title at Los Cabos, Mexico, in July, and reaching four finals on three different surfaces, on the hard courts of San Diego, the grass of Queen’s and on clay in Lyon and Estoril.