"It is one of the most difficult tasks in tennis, his track record is unbelievable here at Wimbledon" - Cameron Norrie on facing Novak Djokovic in semifinal
Cameron Norrie is under no illusions about the task he has in hand as he takes on three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals. The left-hander prevailed over David Goffin in five sets on Tuesday to reach his first Grand Slam semis.
Norrie, 26, playing his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, trailed Goffin by two sets to one. However, he fought back to force a fifth, where he engineered a late break of the Goffin serve before serving out a hard-fought win.
Welcome to the semi-finals, @cam_norrie! 🇬🇧
The Brit is into the final four of a Grand Slam for the first time, beating David Goffin 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
#Wimbledon https://t.co/fPM33dGOB9
Meanwhile, his semifinal opponent Djokovic recovered from two sets down against Jannik Sinner to reach his 11th Wimbledon semifinal. He's now unbeaten in 26 matches on grass - all at Wimbledon - since losing to Tomas Berdych in the 2017 quarterfinals. The Serb's 84 wins at the tournament are behind only Roger Federer's 105.
In his press conference, Norrie said that playing Novak Djokovic, especially at Wimbledon, is one of the toughest tasks in the sport. He acknowledged that he'll have little room for error against the three-time defending champion.
"It is one of the most difficult tasks in tennis," said Norrie. "I would say that grass is his favourite surface, and his track record is unbelievable here at Wimbledon. It will be complicated (to beat him). I will have to improve many things from today. I will not have the opportunity to lose concentration, I will have no margin for error."
In his only previous meeting with the Serb at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin last year, Djokovic conceded only three games. Norrie knows he'll have to up things a notch to stand a chance of dethroning the defending champion.
"The last time we played in Turin he did very well, and I learned a lot," said the 26-year-old. "I will approach it in a different way on the tactical plane. I have to rest and prepare for the challenge. I will have to improve my level.”
"Having reached the semi-finals gives me a lot of confidence" - Cameron Norrie
Cameron Norrie was understandably thrilled about reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, having started his career with modest expectations.
“The other day when I reached the quarter-finals I thought about when I was a kid, and I saw how the players did it," said Norrie. "He thought that he would have no choice in doing so. Having reached the semi-finals gives me a lot of confidence."
He said that he's happy with ticking the boxes - the latest being a first Major semifinal after breaking into the top 10 in the rankings earlier this year.
"When I left university, my first goal was to break into the top 100. and I did it," said Norrie. "Once I did it, I wanted to get into the top 50 and then the top 10. I'm ticking boxes and progressing slowly. I've done a good job of keeping expectations low and maximizing the talent I have."
Listen to that crowd. It's a dream come true for @cam_norrie at Wimbledon "Honestly, I'm speechless!"
📢 Listen to that crowd. It's a dream come true for @cam_norrie at Wimbledon
#Wimbledon https://t.co/NZxZ0Hb9Dq
Cameron Norrie will have his task cut out against Djokovic as he seeks a first Major final.