Cameron Norrie sinks Jarry in five-set Wimbledon epic to set up Alcaraz quarter-final

The Guardian

a day ago

Cameron Norrie was desperately fighting for his survival by the final set of an agonising duel over four hours and 27 minutes on his beloved No 1 Court. As he watched ace after ace fly past him from one of the world's most destructive servers, Norrie's momentum had disappeared along with his two-set lead and match point.
The Briton has been on a purposeful journey over the past few years and, after enduring one of the most difficult periods of his career, he has rebounded with even greater courage and self-belief. He drew upon those qualities in the final moments of one of the most significant wins of his career as he held his nerve to close out a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over the qualifier Nicolás Jarry.
The victory marks Norrie's ­second grand slam quarter-final, having reached his first en route to the semi-finals at the All England Club in 2022. Despite the greater ­attention that other players receive, he is again the last British player standing at Wimbledon.
After spending such a long time watching his lead shrink against an opponent who fired down 46 aces, Norrie dragged himself over the line, using his supreme competitive spirit and composure to hold on.
Next he will face Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion and second seed, after he defeated the 14th seed Andrey Rublev 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, on Tuesday. The recent trajectory of Norrie's career has been fascinating. Having already been struggling with his form in 2024, a left biceps injury compounded his misery.
From his career high ranking of No 8, he fell as low as 91st in May. Norrie is an extremely ambitious person and at his lowest point, as he compared his frustrating level to his form when he reached the top 10, he was weighed down by his own expectations.
He has found his way by focusing solely on his enjoyment of the sport, finding happiness and satisfaction in every single workout, practice and match, regardless of the result. Now, on the biggest stages, his results are also a source of joy again.
This was always likely to be a ­significant challenge. Having climbed as high as No 16 last year, Jarry has fallen to a ranking of No 143 in large part due to a severe case of ­vestibular neuritis, an ear condition that has affected his balance, perception and vision, leading to spells of dizziness. The Chilean stands at 6ft 7in and at its best, his serve is untouchable.
As Jarry fired down aces at will, shutting his opponent out of his service games for much of the match, Norrie took care of his own service games brilliantly, winning all 25 and courageously saving all eight break points he faced throughout the match. The pair would combine to work through 38 consecutive service holds in the match.
After establishing a two-set lead, Norrie held a match point on his serve in the third set tie-break at 6-5, but Jarry took the racket out of Norrie's hand with his relentless attack and serving as he forced a fourth set.
More than an hour later, Jarry's flawless serving performance and bold, relentless aggression allowed him to force a fifth set in another tie-break. As Norrie desperately tried to land returns, to chase down every ball and offer his opponent no free points, he was rewarded for his doggedness as the Chilean opened the set with a poor service game, allowing the Briton to seal the decisive break.
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Norrie brilliantly held on to his serve throughout the final set, ­saving three break points as he closed out a monumental win that further ­re-establishes him at the top of the men's game.
As Norrie sealed the match with a running forehand passing shot, a grand slam quarter-finalist once more, he tossed his racket into the air and rolled on the grass in glee.
'Honestly, I don't know. I think credit to Nico, he did an unbelievable job staying with me,' said ­Norrie. 'He played better than me in both tie-breaks. I didn't want to let his gamestyle bother me so I just kept fighting.'
The shifting scoreline was not the only source of drama on No 1 court. Jarry had complained to the umpire Eva Asderaki about Norrie's ball bouncing between first and second serves. Then, as they convened for the handshake, Jarry expressed his displeasure with Norrie's tendency to cheer loudly after almost every successful point.
Although their extended discussion prompted boos from the crowd, Norrie and Jarry eventually shook hands and the Briton applauded his beaten foe as Jarry departed: 'He said I was a little bit vocal and I think: 'That's my energy,'' Norrie said. 'I just said: 'Man, you competed so well, you hung in there so well.' It was an amazing, competitive match and I loved it.'