Blaze of glory for Norrie as he hits it off with rock legend
ON the face of it there is little which screams rock ‘n’ roll about Cam Norrie, the admirably durable and consistent British No 1. Yet few can beat him when it comes to a chief celebrity supporter and friend in music legend Jon Bon Jovi. The two of them have become sufficiently close that earlier this week Norrie was invited to his mansion in Palm Beach to have a hit with one of the world’s most famous singers. Bon Jovi later reciprocated by driving down to Miami to watch Norrie practise. He may even be there when Norrie gets down to serious business today in the second round of the Miami Open, where the 27-year-old takes on Frenchman Gregoire Barrere. The source of this unlikely bond with music royalty is Norrie’s American partner Louise, who knows one of Bon Jovi’s children through university. ‘Louise is friends with the family,’ said the world No 12 of this week’s coaching session. ‘He loves tennis and I hit with him for a little bit and then we went to his house for lunch. He is really nice and so cool, a very humble guy. ‘He used to run a lot and now he uses playing as a workout. He has a pretty decent technique on his forehand. I thought I would invite him down, and he’s coming to Wimbledon as well.’ The self-effacing Norrie is getting accustomed to mixing with the rich and famous as he becomes more embedded in the upper echelons of the game. At Indian Wells last week he was introduced to Bill Gates, who these days is probably the sport’s best-known camp follower. He smiles as he reflects on the transition: ‘When I first met Andy Murray I was so excited, you speak to him and then to Roger Federer too. Now I guess it is more normal.’