"I could see Novak Djokovic hurting a little bit" - Cameron Norrie opens up on Davis Cup encounter, says Serb is 'a human being'
Cameron Norrie recently said he was happy with his performance against Novak Djokovic despite his loss, which resulted in Great Britain's exit from the Davis Cup Finals.
On Thursday, Great Britain lost 2-0 against Serbia in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain. In the opener, Miomir Kecmanovic got past Jack Draper 7-6(2), 7-6(6). Djokovic then secured the semifinal spot by dispatching Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4.
In the post-match press conference, Norrie said he had plenty of self-confidence going into the tie against the reigning ATP Finals champion.
"Yeah, I mean, I had to today. At the end of the day, he's a human being, and obviously he was really in form and was playing unbelievable," Norrie said.
Norrie admitted that the loss against the 24-time Grand Slam champion was hard to take.
"Yeah, disappointed to lose that one. I knew it was going to be a tough match today going in, so yeah, I had to believe as much as I could, but I was impressed with how he served," he said.
The Brit believes the match was a test for him, and claimed that Djokovic "hurting" a little at some points was a good sign of his own abilities.
"For me, he served really well today, and he served really well last week as well. He didn't give me too much. Yeah, I was just trying to go in and challenge him. I think I definitely brought a much better level than I had the last end of my year, so I was kind of proud of how I competed, but it was still tough to lose that one. But I could see him hurting a little bit down at the other end, so that was good and a good test for my game," Norrie said.
Djokovic's Serbia are set to face Jannik Sinner's Italy in the semifinals of the Davis Cup Finals on November 25. Finland, meanwhile, face Alex De Minaur's Australia in the other semifinal clash.
"Pressure motivates me" - Novak Djokovic after helping Serbia qualify for SF at Davis Cup Finals
Novak Djokovic entered the Davis Cup Finals on the back of a record-breaking seventh title at the 2023 ATP Finals. The Serb defeated home favorite Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-3 in the summit clash in Turin.
Following Serbia's quarterfinal win against Great Britain, Djokovic was asked to comment on his thought processes and mentality during pressure moments.
"Well, I think everyone has -- I can speak on my behalf, but I actually think that everyone has doubts. I have my doubts, as well, before the match and of course during the match. But I think the convictions that I'm able to pull it off and win are stronger and they overwhelm the doubts. So it is always an internal battle, really, how you're going to prevail I think in your head. It really then depends, depended on that, you will perform in a certain level or a certain way," Djokovic said.
The World No. 1 admitted to having doubts but said his experience helps him to navigate through the internal battle.
"I think the experience that I have now playing for so many years helps me deal with my nerves, deal with expectations, but there is always very high expectations beginning with myself and of course now here the team and the nation," he added.
Novak Djokovic further claimed that the pressure of expectations motivates him and helps him focus on the match.
"It motivates me. Pressure motivates me. It really forces me to go into my lockdown mode, in a way, to focus and get the best out of me, you know, in the Davis Cup weeks. Playing for my country, it's probably, I guess, multiplied even more that kind of feeling of motivation," Djokovic added.
The 36-year-old further said he was proud of his impressive career that allowed him to be in so many high-pressure situations on the court.
"I know that pretty much every single player that steps out on the court with me wants to get a scalp. You know, they want to win, they want to play their best tennis. But, you know, it's a good problem to have, to be honest. You know, I don't complain. You know, I'm very proud of the career that I had and the situation and the position that I'm in," the Serb said.