THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2021

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/A. Bolt

6-3, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A pretty dominant performance. What in particular do you think was better today than yesterday?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, thank you. It was actually a tough, tough match. Yeah, I mean, he came out firing. I was down a break. I think after that I settled into the match nicely and got through a couple tricky games on my serve.

Honestly, the biggest thing for me was I really found it on the returns and I managed to neutralize the first serve and get into longer rallies. I think that suited me when that happened.

Yeah, overall I didn't really give him too much. Not many free points on the return, then not really many free points off the serve and first ball. I think that was the difference.

I felt, in comparison to the first match, I moved really well. Definitely that Court 1, I think just with a little bit of sunshine, a little bit of time for the court to dry out, I could really trust the foot, especially moving to the forehand side. I think, yeah, it was just tricky weather for the court situation.

The courts felt really good out there. I'm happy with how I was moving. Yeah, good day overall.

Q. If you play Federer in the next round, do you think about a match against Federer at Wimbledon now differently to the way you would have done a couple years ago because he's 39 and because you have so many wins under your belt already this year?

CAMERON NORRIE: I mean, not really. I think the guy's obviously such a legend of the game, he's very comfortable here, very confident here. He's won a lot, probably more than any other slam here. He's very successful here at Wimbledon.

Yeah, first of all, it's just going to be a pleasure to play against him again. I played him once before. He absolutely whacked me pretty easily. I'm going to just look at it like any other match.

But definitely need to take into account obviously he's got such a well-suited game for the grass. I actually watched his match against Adrian in the first round. He's playing very well, and he looks comfortable out there. I thought it was a high-level match.

Yeah, it's going to be a great experience regardless of who I play. I've watched him and I have a lot of respect for him and his team, what he's done to the sport and for the sport.

It's going to be unbelievable regardless.

Q. I want to ask about the fact there's three British men in the third round for the first time since 1999. What does that mean to all you guys with Andy playing so well, all the drama we've had? Secondly, are you aware we can all hear you swear when you made those decisions in the match today? I think I heard you say 'shit' twice halfway through a shot. It's quite funny. Did you know we could hear you that far away?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, for the second question, I'm not swearing at all. I think when I'm hitting the ball, I'm saying 'shh,' like releasing air.

Q. Of course you are.

CAMERON NORRIE: I'm not swearing at all. I think the crowd think that I am swearing because I hear a couple people mumbling.

I think I'm trying to get a little more topspin on the ball. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm not swearing. I'm not swearing.

It's obviously unbelievable to have three British guys in the third round, especially for Andy. I watched both his matches. Yeah, he's battled through some tough moments out there. I think it's great that he's come through that. I'm happy for him that he's feeling good out there again. He's back at probably one of his favorite tournaments.

It's great for us to have each other to bounce off. I practiced with Andy a lot last year over the break and during the Battle of the Brits, and Evo a lot. It's great that each of us are pushing each other.

Yeah, all credit to Evo. He's playing great. He had a very comfortable win yesterday. All of us have good opportunities to go even further. It's great that we're all going deep, especially at Wimbledon.

Q. Good for the tournament as a whole because if we're honest about it, everybody thought maybe two or three years ago Andy's hip problems, we might be in a bit of a vacuum for British men players particularly at Wimbledon. The fact there's three of you, is quite a sense of pride in that?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, like I said before, it's great that there's three of us there. We have some younger ones, some very good talent coming through, as well. It's just cool for all of us to have Andy still around playing and chatting to him, hearing his insights.

Obviously he speaks about the game at such a high, high level, so in-depth. It's nice to see the way he approaches matches and situations and practices, seeing how him and his team work. I think it's great for the future generations like myself, leading into some of the younger guys, as well, with all the talents we've got coming up.

Q. Just take us through that game. A slightly shaky start. Was that nerves? Once you got that out your system, you were pretty much in control. Reeled off something like 11 games in a row after that.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, he started great. He was serving big. I think I played, yeah, a couple of sloppy points, two sloppy points on my service game. Wasn't making some first serves. Yeah, he came up with a good pass to break me. After that, I locked it down and didn't give too many freebies away. Really felt comfortable and settled into the match nicely.

Yeah, actually it wasn't easy. It was tricky. The thing what helped me a lot was playing a couple lefties. I think I played three lefties at Queen's. I've been practicing and playing matches with them a lot.

All credit to Bolty. He had a great grass court season. He obviously won Nottingham, then won a match here. He's playing good. Very tricky on the grass. He's very comfortable on the grass court. It's good to have such a good day out there today.

Q. One of the most impressive things about your year has been your kind of week-by-week consistency regardless of conditions or surface. What have you learnt about being able to bring your best level each week?

CAMERON NORRIE: Good question.

Yeah, I'm just trying not to -- I'm just trying to take it week by week, match by match. I think with tennis or with any sport, there's always going to be distractions or things that are going to happen with different changes of conditions, different surfaces. You don't like that one as much. I don't know, something happens with a stringer. There's so many variables going on a lot of the time.

I think I've done my best to stay -- kind of push all that stuff aside, just focus on what I can do that day, what I can execute. I think it does help and give me a lot of confidence that I've got through some tricky matches. I'm feeling very comfortable in those bigger moments.

So I think it's just a lot of different things. It stems from just training every day and walking up every day, giving my best. Yeah, I'm really pleased with obviously how I'm doing this year. Obviously I think I've got a lot of things that I want to keep improving and things I don't know. I think there's just more things I can add to my experience, little things that I'm learning along the way. It's been really fun. I'm happy with how I'm doing. But I want to keep pushing for more.

Q. What memories do you have of watching Roger Federer at Wimbledon over the years? Any that stand out?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I've seen him obviously with those epic matches with Rafa. I think I was playing under-12 or under-14 matches. I remember staying up late and watching those.

Yeah, unbelievable just to see him playing those. I don't know when he's playing. I think he's playing later on today. Just to share the court with him again... I mean, he's such a legend of the game. Yeah, like I said before, he's still playing some really good tennis, very sharp out there.

It's going to be a tough one. Yeah, some good memories obviously of watching him over the years.

Q. I wanted to ask you, what are your memories about the first match against Roger?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I remember I played him at Hopman Cup. I remember when I walked out, it was all dark. I walked out first. Then I remember looking back, and he was walking out with like the whole stadium was blacked out and dark, and the spotlight was on him. He was coming out to play me. I felt like I was in like a video game, going to play Roger Federer (smiling).

It was a great experience. To play him even in the exhibition format in Hopman Cup, see how he played unbelievable that day. I don't think I played too badly. He was relentless. I lost pretty quickly. I think it was 6-1, 6-1. Yeah, he was very aggressive that day I remember and used his forehand line very well. It was a great experience.

Q. The Hopman Cup match, what did he say to you at the end?

CAMERON NORRIE: I can't remember. I can't remember actually what he said. I don't know. Probably tough match. I don't know.

Q. What was it actually like being out on court facing him on the other side of the net?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, for me it was surprising in terms of the tennis. I mean, I knew he was obviously that aggressive and proactive with the forehand. Just was a big, big shot to see. If you left any ball with not much on it, he was kind of moving around and hitting the forehand. He gave me absolutely nothing that day from what I remember. Definitely not expecting it to be easy. He was coming at me. Yeah, overall it was a great experience to play him.

I think I lost easy. I had to go out and play him again in the mixed doubles. It wasn't easy again on that one.