Cameron Norrie thrives as Britain's last man standing thanks to key Wimbledon change
As Great Britain eagerly prepared to anoint the new king of SW19, or at least a major contender in any light-hearted debate over renaming 'Henman Hill', finding a powerful lefty on the verge of the second week of Wimbledon would not have surprised many.
Advertisement
Yet it is not Jack Draper in 2025, whose desperately disappointing second-round defeat to the crafty Croatian Marin Cilic exposed the value of experience and composure on the live surface. Seeded four, Draper buckled under expectations and, in fairness, some fabulous tennis from a former Wimbledon finalist rolling back the years.
Instead, Norrie, remarkably just three years removed from snatching a one-set lead over a prime Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals here, only to wilt in four sets, grew in strength as he cantered into the last 16.
That composure, released from the pressure of being the British No 1, proved decisive. Eventually. That's after stumbling out of the blocks to lose the first four points on service, gifting the flamboyant Italian an early break, before dropping the next three points when he served again.
Norrie eventually settled and grew into the game. 'I was hitting the ball really well,' said the world No 61, 'but I started too confidently, going for it too much. But I then stole that first set, so it was even better for me, to have a few chances and then play a great tiebreak.
Advertisement
'He was a bit up and down with his tennis. And I tried to stay as solid as I could, ride the waves. It was another battle, so I'm happy to go through, it was such a good match.'
Cameron Norrie overcame a slow start to progress in straight sets (PA Wire)
The foundation of the win came from collecting several gritty games through long, gruelling rallies. First, Norrie would tame Bellucci's serve, which was often crushed at speeds as high as 140mph. The Italian won 82 per cent of his first-serve points after 10 games, compared to Norrie's 52 per cent win rate. But that number was completely reversed by the conclusion of the match, with the Briton edging his rival in that department: 65-62.
Norrie entered the Championships under the radar and was, perhaps, a little subdued after a couple of dispiriting results in his warm-up events. Upset in the first round at Queen's by the dangerous Jakub Menšík, he was then dispatched once more in his first match at Eastbourne, this time by compatriot Billy Harris.
Advertisement
With expectations largely removed, Norrie has thrived as the underdog: first against Roberto Bautista Agut and then upsetting the No 12 seed Frances Tiafoe. But he faced a different proposition here, tasked with the burden of expectation once more – a beatable opponent and a wonderful opportunity ahead to seize a quarter-final berth with Nicolas Jarry, who defeated Brazilian phenom Joao Fonseca, next up.
Norrie is through to the fourth round at Wimbledon for a second time (PA Wire)
But unlike Draper, who crumbled overnight, Norrie held his nerve. Especially in that tiebreak, which swung on the home favourite's gutsy backhand, driven across the court to force Bellucci into an error. Both men then exchanged countless backhands at 5-5 before a patient Norrie dispatched a backhand. Bellucci had produced fireworks sporadically throughout the first set, but a lack of control proved costly as he sent the ball into orbit with a rocketed forehand off the frame of his racket.
Norrie roared with an outpouring of emotion and composed himself from that moment on. An early break helped him then cruise to a 5-3 lead, only for Bellucci to sense an opening with the two-set cushion in touching distance.
This will be just his fifth fourth round at a grand slam (Getty Images)
But, urged on by the crowd, he turned to that trusted backhand once more. A precious winner carved out a second set point and that was duly grasped with an ace.
Advertisement
The third set continued with the same rhythm, too, as Norrie patiently waited for his chance and pressed Bellucci to hit the lines. Eventually he cracked, justifying Norrie's tactics, despite the Briton hitting nine fewer winners than the Italian (33).
Relishing a run as an underdog and released from any added pressure, Norrie is a threat once again to reach just his second grand slam quarter-final.
'Every single moment, you got loud and changed the momentum,' Norrie proclaimed with a smile as the crowd sang his name. 'I've got to thank you guys for that, it was a big factor in the match.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
Man Utd have failed to sell Rashford, Sancho and Garnacho – it's a mess of their own making
At what point do alarm bells start ringing for Marcus Rashford, for Jadon Sancho, for Alejandro Garnacho, for Antony and for Manchester United? Ruben Amorim wanted all four unhappy players sold before pre-season training begins on Monday — an immediate boost to their straitened financial position, a significant burden off the wage bill and, importantly from the manager's perspective, an opportunity to draw a line in the sand and move on from some of the issues that have dogged the club for the past two seasons. Advertisement Predictably — because clear desperation to sell is not a great look in any marketplace — they are all still Manchester United players. And with Amorim eager to move on without them as he steps up his preparations for the new season, it emerged on Friday that the club has informed all four, plus unwanted left-back Tyrell Malacia, that it has delayed their return date until 'later in July' to give them more time to secure a move away. Equally predictably, this latest development, communicated on Thursday, has not gone down well among the players and their representatives, some of whom dispute the claim that they have asked for a move. There was a reference to their being allowed access to the medical and support facilities at Carrington at some point in July if they have not secured a move, but there was not the slightest hint of a scenario in which they might be reintegrated to Amorim's squad. There are potential exit routes. The Athletic revealed this week that Rashford and his representatives are pursuing options overseas after Aston Villa, where he spent the second half of last season on loan, decided against taking up the £40million ($54.6million) option of a permanent deal; Sancho, who spent last season on loan to Chelsea, has been linked with moves to Borussia Dortmund (for a third time) and Juventus; Garnacho remains the subject of interest from Chelsea; Real Betis are still hoping to find a way re-sign Antony, ideally on another loan. But interest has been slow to crystallise into anything more serious, let alone anything of the type that would meet United's earlier expectations of what they might raise. The Transfermarkt website would not claim its algorithm to track players' valuations is a 100 per cent replication of market conditions, but it proposes that at the respective peaks of their powers — in Sancho's case during his penultimate season at Dortmund — Rashford, Sancho and Antony would have been valued at a combined £250million (£73m, £112m, and £65m respectively). Now, by contrast, Transfermarkt places their valuations at a combined £97m (Rashford £43m, Sancho £24m, Antony £30m). Advertisement But even those valuations look extremely unrealistic, not least because of the additional financial burden that their wages would bring. Villa could have signed Rashford for £40m but decided against it; Chelsea had a contractual obligation to sign Sancho permanently for up to £25m but preferred to pay a £5m penalty charge to send him back, having been unable to agree personal terms; Betis would love to re-sign Antony, but the Spanish club do not have the funds to get anywhere near that £30m figure and would prefer another loan, with United helping to subsidise his wages. Whatever hopes United might have had in terms of transfer fees — particularly during the moments when Rashford, Sancho and particularly Antony showed flashes, during their loan spells, of talents that seemed to have stagnated at Old Trafford — are having to be scaled down rapidly. Would they accept £30m for Rashford? What about £25m, £20m? What if another few weeks pass without a deal? Are they desperate enough to accept another loan? Garnacho is a different case. At 21 he is by far the youngest and most saleable of the quartet, his best years theoretically ahead of him, his dip in form nothing like as deep or as long as those endured by the other three. He has a lower base salary than the other three, so meeting his financial expectations might not be so difficult. It is possible to regard him as a talented, albeit inconsistent winger who, even if he doesn't fit Amorim's tactical vision, would represent a safer investment — bigger upside, smaller downside — than some of the array of wingers Chelsea have bought. But would even Chelsea consider meeting a reported £60m asking price when United, through their clear desperation to sell, have created a buyer's market? This is not just, as it appeared in January, a club whose financial circumstances might lead them reluctantly to consider any huge offers for Garnacho or midfielder Kobbie Mainoo if the price was right. This is now a club that needs to sell Garnacho because his relationship with Amorim — like Rashford's and like Sancho's with Erik ten Hag previously — has broken down. There is another complication. At a time when there is felt to be a shortage of top-class options in certain positions (goalkeepers, centre-forwards), there is a veritable glut of right-footed forwards who like to cut inside from the left wing. And here we have one club trying to sell three players (Rashford, Sancho, Garnacho) who are regarded primarily as that, plus a left-footer (Antony) who likes to cut in from the right. What does it say about United's failures of recruitment and player development in recent years that they find themselves trying to sell three left wingers at once? Advertisement If there was a time when left-sided forwards were in short supply, that has changed dramatically in recent years with a trend towards inverted wingers, encouraged to dribble inside rather than take the outside route. Look among the biggest, richest clubs — the ones who might have some prospect of meeting Manchester United's and Rashford's financial expectations — and you will not find many vacancies for such a player. To return to Transfermarkt again, the site values no fewer than 25 left-wingers at €50m-plus. As well as Vinicius Jnr (Real Madrid), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola (both Paris Saint-Germain), Raphinha (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao) and Rafael Leao (AC Milan), that list includes Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz (Liverpool), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes (Newcastle United), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Kevin Schade (Brentford). More significantly, it includes a couple of emerging talents who have been transferred this summer (Alex Baena, 23, whom Atletico Madrid signed from Villarreal; Jamie Gittens, who his about to join Chelsea from Dortmund; Jesus Rodriguez who has joined Como from Betis) and others (such as Kenan Yildiz at Juventus and the precociously gifted Malick Fofana at Lyon) who are appearing prominently on every scouting radar. In an era when the focus on 'proven' talent has been replaced by a preference for investing in untapped potential — a practice that has been taken to an extreme at Chelsea — the market for Rashford at 27 and Sancho and Antony at 25, all of them with at least a couple of difficult seasons behind them, seems far less active than it once would have done. The same goes for Jack Grealish, who, four years after a £100m transfer from Villa, is totally out of the picture at Manchester City and wondering what kind of escape route might present itself. But the difference is that Manchester City can afford to take a big hit on a player for once, as opposed to the enormous losses United have taken on so many of the big signings they have made over the past decade. There is at least some interest in Rashford. The Barcelona idea, which his representatives are pursuing actively for the second successive transfer window, has resurfaced in the past few days after Williams, their top target, elected to stay in Bilbao. Bayern Munich continue to crop up in dispatches. But for both clubs Rashford would appear an 'option', at a knockdown price, rather than an immediate priority. In an interview with YouTuber Javi Ruiz while in Spain last month, Rashford did not disguise his interest in Barcelona. He emphasised his renewed enthusiasm for playing at centre-forward, which he said was 'becoming more comfortable, more natural'. In his 13 appearances at Villa (six starts, seven from the bench), he was used on the left wing and through the middle by Unai Emery and there were moments, in both positions, where he offered glimpses of the Rashford of two seasons earlier. Advertisement But those undeniable glimpses didn't develop into anything more enduring. A hamstring injury cut short his season and, while Emery appreciated his contribution, the Villa hierarchy did not see enough to persuade them to take up that £40m option when they have faced their own battle to comply with the Premier League's profitability and sustainability regulations. Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment last year, Manchester United have been pleading poverty, the financial excesses of the previous decade leaving them with no choice but to cut jobs, raise ticket prices and make painful decisions for the long-term good. Their financial headaches would have been eased considerably by a couple of quick windfalls with the sales of Rashford and Sancho — transfer fees banked and salaries off the wage bill — but it is yet to happen. The fact they have ploughed ahead with the £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers and have offered a similar sum for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo underlines their commitment to a revamp of their forward line. The fact that Cunha has been offered what was Rashford's No 10 shirt is as clear a sign as any that the England forward has no future under Amorim. Amorim's need for a fresh start — no more sulkers, no more malcontents — is obvious, having spent so much of his tenure in firefighting mode. But just how big a series of financial hits are United willing to take in order to give their manager that clean slate he wants? If these were easy transactions to make, Rashford and Antony would have been sold last summer and Sancho at least six months before that. The fact they are still there should leave everyone at Manchester United, not least the players themselves, with an awful lot to ponder.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gossip: Frank would cost Spurs £10m
Tottenham will have to pay in excess of £10m if they want to bring in Brentford boss Thomas Frank to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou. (Mirror) Want more transfer stories? Read Saturday's full gossip column Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How to watch Argentina vs England: TV channel and live stream for rugby today
England rugby continue their test season today, meeting Argentina at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium in La Plata. Los Pumas will come into the tie high on confidence after pulling off a major upset against the British and Irish Lions last time out, triumphing 28-24 in Dublin. Advertisement It will be a momentous outing for George Ford, who starts as Jamie George's co-captain and, in the process, will pick up his 100th England Cap. He made his debut eleven years ago, facing Wales in the Six Nations, and has since gone on to win the competition three times. Ford does not seem to see the romance of the occasion, though, saying it is simply 'another day at the office'. 'It's an unbelievably proud moment for me and, more importantly, my family,' he said. 'But the most important thing is the team and getting a good result. Even though there is a milestone there, the whole bigger picture doesn't change. It's England-Argentina, we want to win and make sure we perform really well.' Advertisement England will face Argentina for a second time just a week on from this fixture, trekking up to Mexico to do so. They will then head to Washington, D.C., to meet the United States national side at Audi Field. How to watch Argentina vs England today TV channel: In the UK, the game is available to watch live on Sky Sports Action, with coverage beginning at 7:40pm BST ahead of an 8:40pm kick-off. Live stream: Those with a Sky Sports subscription can also view the match live online via the Sky Go app. It can also be streamed with NOW. Live blog: Follow the full fixture live with Standard Sport's blog!
