Cameron Norrie becomes the fourth British man in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on multiple occasions.
Cameron Norrie described his fall to the court as a “well-deserved” expression of relief after overcoming a determined comeback from Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry to secure a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Norrie, the British number three, initially led by two sets and held a match point in the third-set tie-break, ultimately clinching a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (7-9) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 victory under the Court One roof.
The win maintains British representation in the singles competition at the All England Club and sets up a highly anticipated match against two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
“I’ve never fallen to the floor in a match before, and I think it just reflects how tough it was to get there,” Norrie commented.
After missing his initial opportunity, the 29-year-old left-hander demonstrated resilience to seal his progression almost two hours later on his second match point.
The resounding roar that greeted his victory underscored Norrie’s delight at prevailing in a grueling encounter that demanded his trademark determination and stamina.
Asked how he managed to navigate a battle lasting four hours and 27 minutes, Norrie admitted, “Honestly, I don’t know. Nico did an unbelievable job of sticking with me. I had to keep fighting.”
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After getting back on his feet, Norrie received some terse words from his opponent, who had previously been annoyed by the Briton’s prolonged ball-bouncing routine between first and second serves.
Jarry also attempted to strike a forehand at Norrie when he approached the net in the deciding set but failed to clear it.
“I was a little bit vocal – that’s just my energy,” Norrie explained. “I told him ‘you competed so well, it was a competitive match, and I loved it’.”
Norrie’s victory followed a few hours after fellow Briton Sonay Kartal, the last remaining home player in the women’s singles, was defeated on Centre Court.
Norrie, currently ranked 61st in the world after struggling with a forearm injury last season, is now one win away from replicating his semi-final appearance at SW19 in 2022.
To achieve this, he faces the daunting task of overcoming Alcaraz.
Alcaraz, the second seed from Spain, extended his career-best winning streak to 21 matches by defeating Russian 14th seed Andrey Rublev in their fourth-round match on Sunday.
Ahead of last month’s French Open, Norrie stated that he had been playing some of his best tennis during the clay-court season and believed his level was comparable to when he was a top-10 player in 2022.
These comments, made after he had fallen towards the bottom of the top 100, raised eyebrows at the time but have ultimately proven accurate.
A memorable five-set win over former world number one Daniil Medvedev set the tone, followed by victories against Argentine qualifier Federico Gomez and fellow Briton Jacob Fearnley before losing to Novak Djokovic in the last 16.
At Roland Garros, he described his level as “seven out of 10, vintage Norrie,” and the way he ground out the victory against Jarry was another example as he went one better here.
Norrie served consistently well throughout, remaining composed to save all eight break points he faced, while prevailing in the longer rallies was also crucial.
“It was a bit higher than seven out of 10,” Norrie assessed.
“I did a lot of things well. My first ball was probably the best thing I did after my serve. I didn’t miss many, and I kept it moving.”
“The level was high from both of us.”
Jarry has dropped in the rankings due to an ear condition affecting his balance and vision but has reminded everyone of his talent over the past two weeks.
After progressing through three Wimbledon qualifying matches, he won another three in the main draw, starting with a remarkable comeback from two sets down against eighth seed Holger Rune.
Opportunities against the world number 143’s serve are rare – he hit 46 aces – and Norrie clinically seized his chance in the first set to break for 5-3 before serving it out.
A tight second set offered even fewer chances to either player, but once again, Norrie struck at a critical moment.
Increasing the aggression in his return of serve at the start of the tie-break resulted in a mini-break that he never surrendered, with a precise cross-court winner on set point proving bold and brilliant.
The third and fourth sets were similarly balanced. With Jarry serving big and Norrie battling, it seemed likely that they would be decided by tie-breaks.
Norrie led 4-2 in both but failed to capitalize on his advantage as Jarry fought back, but he reset admirably to ultimately end his opponent’s resistance after striking early in the decider.
This sparked jubilant scenes in a partisan atmosphere on Court One, where Norrie has now won nine of his 10 career matches.
“It was a nice moment. It feels a little more deserved coming back from the injury and trying to push back into the top of the game,” said Norrie, who will climb back into the top 50 next week.
“All the hard work, it’s paid off. I’ve been a dedicated professional and have a good team around me. These moments are the icing on the cake.”
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