Cameron Norrie sets up Carlos Alcaraz clash after sportsmanship spat

Times

10 hours ago

There have been bigger wins against better opponents during his career, but Cameron Norrie's Wimbledon fourth-round victory on Sunday ranked as one of his most satisfying triumphs.
The last British singles player standing at the All England Club this year withstood a barrage of 103 winners from the racket of Chile's Nicolás Jarry to prevail 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (7-9), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3. At four hours and 27 minutes, it is the longest match the 29-year-old Norrie has ever contested.
Norrie, ranked No61 in the world, was exceptional in the way he maintained his focus for an extended period of time as there was much to overcome. The pinpoint serving of the 6ft 7in Jarry produced a total of 46 aces, not only making it challenging to break but also putting greater importance on Norrie's own service holds.
Jarry added to the drama by making complaints about Norrie's sportsmanship. First he complained about the length of time Norrie was taking to bounce the ball before his second serve, and even imitated it to make his point clear. After the match Jarry then confronted Norrie by the side of the court to air another grievance about his constant fist pumping and shouts of 'Come on'. The vast majority of the 12,000-capacity crowd on No1 Court unsurprisingly rallied behind the home player and booed Jarry in response.
'He said I was a little bit vocal but that is my energy,' Norrie said. 'I told him he competed so well and it was a great match.
'I wanted to take my time on the second serve and making sure that I'm getting myself ready to set. I actually didn't even notice he was upset with that. I don't want to rush into it and hit a quick double fault. If I'm hitting a second serve, I have to be ready for sure.'
Jarry said: 'He's very competitive, so he knows how to make the most of the important games and the important parts of the match.'
Another test of Norrie's resilience came in the final two sets. In the third-set tie-break he had a match point for a straight-sets victory but failed to convert and was kept out on court for another two hours as Jarry launched a stirring fightback. The relief was evident at the end when Norrie fell to the court and rolled on to his back in celebration. Three years after reaching the semi-finals here, he has become only the fourth Briton to reach a Wimbledon men's singles quarter-final on multiple occasions in the open era, joining Andy Murray, Tim Henman and Roger Taylor.
'Honestly I don't know how I did that [winning],' Norrie said. 'Credit to Nico. He did an unbelievable job. He played better than me in both tie-breaks [that he lost]. I had to keep fighting.'
Centre Court now awaits for Norrie on Tuesday. He had specifically requested a return to No1 Court on Sunday because of his preference for the more feverish atmosphere and the closer position of his coaching box. There is no way, though, that his quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz can be anywhere other than the main stadium.
Norrie leaves No1 Court with fond memories of beating a formidable opponent. Jarry may have come through qualifying with a world ranking of No143, but the 29-year-old made for quite a challenge as someone whose career-high was No16. The reason for his fall down the rankings was the diagnosis of an inner ear disorder, vestibular neuritis, which made it difficult for him to play with the effects of dizziness, vertigo and loss of balance.
Well aware that this was going to be a match in which dips of concentration on his serve would be punished, Norrie was mightily relieved in the opening game to save a break point. From there it was an efficient set, with Norrie remaining steady in all facets of his play before having his patience rewarded with a key break for 5-3.
More of the same followed in the second set, with Norrie taking his opportunity when the moment came with a backhand cross-court winner on his first set point at 6-4 in the tie-break. At this point Jarry decided to raise a complaint with the umpire Eva Asderaki about Norrie's slow ball bouncing — well within the rules before a second serve as the 25-second limit is only in place before the first serve — and then did the same himself minutes later.
The first match point for Norrie came in the third-set tie-break at 6-5, but a bold and brave series of attacking shots paid off for Jarry as he stole the set at 8-7 with a forehand winner. Norrie then let slip another lead in the fourth-set tie-break by losing five of the next six points to be dragged into a fifth set.
Norrie remained steadfast despite the setbacks and finally claimed a long-awaited second break of serve for 2-0, the first in the match for either player since the eighth game of the first set. It helped that it was partly gifted through a double fault and an unforced backhand error by Jarry.
One break was enough for Norrie to go on and see out the victory, continuing an unexpected turnaround for him on the court this summer. He arrived at the Geneva Open seven weeks ago for qualifying because his ranking was too low for direct entry at No91. Since then he has reached the last 16 of the French Open and now the last eight of Wimbledon, rising to a projected ranking of No43.
'At the beginning of this year, I struggled with confidence,' Norrie said. 'I want to enjoy my tennis more and I'm doing that. It is a bonus to win but enjoying it is what matters. I am so happy to be in another quarter-final in the best tournament in the world.'