ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2023

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/B. Paire

7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Cam. How did you turn it around in the end?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was a tough match. I was able to stick with him and stay just one break behind. It was enough.

He was winning a lot of the tough games throughout the match, and I was able to win a couple of the last few. I was feeling physically better and better as the match went on.

Yeah, it was a tough one obviously with the crowd getting behind him. He served really well at times.

But for me, a lot to improve on. Yeah, didn't really serve and return my best today, and it showed in the scoreline.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Did you feel the hindrance call was harsh? It sounded more like a grunt than a "yeah."

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, for sure. I think both of us didn't know why he called it. I think Benoit thought it was for him, even like both of us were a bit confused. It was for sure a grunt. It was a big point, 30-All.

And, yeah, I don't know why he felt it was necessary to get involved there, especially he gave me no warning whatsoever and it was a big point. It ultimately changed the momentum of the match. I was holding pretty comfortably, for the most part, up until that point. Yeah, the next point Benoit had a winner and the I was a break down.

But it was strange. He must have thought that I said something, and I think for me to get involved there was absurd. Even with Evo yesterday, I watched that, and he was nowhere near foot faulting and the guy is calling him on the other side of the net.

There is no warning. You know, there is no, like, You're getting a little bit close to the line here maybe. Just be a bit careful. With me, maybe, You're grunting too long on one point. Just be careful.

For them to get involved in that was, for me, doesn't make any sense. What are we doing here? I'm here playing tennis, competing as hard as I can, and to do that, a pretty big point. Maybe if I spoke to him now he thinks he's wrong, but at the end of the day, I'm fighting my ass off and one call of that could obviously influence the match.

Obviously I got away with it today and I was able to come through in five sets. But yeah, ultimately it was a big call in the end, and it changed the momentum of the match, for sure.

Q. Evo kind of suggested he thinks some umpires actually kind of want to get involved at some level. Do you feel that was the case? Presumably you've played against players with much more lingering grunts than that that seem to go unpunished all the time.

CAMERON NORRIE: I don't know really why he felt the need to get involved with that one and with the one yesterday. I don't know.

We're all competing as hard as we can, and I did my best to try and not let it bother me. I've never been called for that before ever. I think it's obviously unacceptable -- obviously that's my point of view -- but if he makes a decision wrong, there's no consequences. And, you know, for me, if I do something wrong, there's consequences; I can lose the match and this and that.

But I don't know. With him getting involved, I felt like in both scenarios it should have been like a warning rather than giving it straight, you know. For me, I was a grunt, and for Evo's case yesterday, I even watched it, he was nowhere near foot faulting. He's been playing his whole life, he's probably never been called for that either.

I don't know. I don't know what it is, but it's unacceptable and it could change the match.

Q. You're again the last British player left in a singles of a Grand Slam. Do you think that's a reflection of where the British game is at the moment? Dan was also saying yesterday he feels there is a class problem in the game, not enough people from poorer backgrounds are getting into the game, and that's one of the problems. Do you see that as an issue as well?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it's a bit unfortunate not to have Andy here competing. Yeah, I don't know what happened with Jack. But yeah, it's disappointing not to have more Brits through in the second round and still here competing.

Yeah, I'm not really... What did Evo say?

Q. He said one of the issues in British tennis, you need to be rich, there are not enough opportunities for working class people to get in the game and come through the system.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what to say there.

Q. It was pretty sort of febrile out there, a bit like a football match at times. Obviously mostly for Benoit. You've got Lucas Pouille in the next round, who is also French, and maybe be on the bigger court. How do you manage those situations in terms of making sure you don't maybe let the crowd get control of the match? I think at one point you had to serve through a Mexican wave. How do you deal with it?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it's great to play those matches in Grand Slams against guys, obviously home favorites, and I think that's why I play tennis. That's why I love those moments.

And to be on the flip side of that is difficult at times. I think the crowd can be tough at times, but I keep reminding myself it's good to be playing, that I want to be out there competing and being in those tough moments when the crowd is against me.

It makes it even better to come through those matches, so it was really cool to play on that court and against Benoit who was competing really hard and also he came with a good level today. It was exactly what I wanted to see, and it was a nice match to get through.

Like I said, I have been losing a couple close matches and it was nice to come through from a break down in the fifth to win that one when everyone was going for him and the crowd was really heavily supporting him. So it was good fun, good atmosphere, and a great match.

Q. Just on playing Benoit, when you played him in New York he didn't really have the same attitude. I think he packed his bag before the end of the match. But today different. How do you then prepare for a match like that against somebody who is so unpredictable?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I knew it was going to be tough. He's been playing a lot better this year. I think his best surface I think is the clay courts when it's lively like this. When he brings that attitude, he's a great player. He's so talented.

I knew it was going to be tough. It's his home Grand Slam, and he's been playing a lot. He's won titles on the clay before. I was expecting a battle.

For me, I didn't play my best, and a lot of the things I want to work on in practice tomorrow, but yeah, good to get through it and nice to win a five-set match, for sure.

Q. How much do you have to, against a player like Benoit who is unpredictable, how much do you have to accept some of the crazy shots are going to go in, the dropshots, and at some point he's also going to miss? And also just wondering about the hindrance thing, some players would argue back and might get distracted, but you kind of let it go immediately. Just wondering if you, in your mind, you had to stop yourself from arguing or if it was easy to let go?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was quite difficult, because I knew I grunted and maybe he thought I said something. What am I going to do? I'm going to go there, argue, get the supervisor? Then it's going to be pointless.

I felt like I had good momentum winning that first set. Ultimately I think there is nothing I can say more than, "I disagree," and then he said, "No, no, no, no. That's hindrance. Let's go play the next point."

I moved on. I tried to use it as a positive and be like, Okay, this is happening.

I tried my best to move on. I felt like I didn't really let it bother me too much. But the momentum was with Benoit after that and he started playing well and raised his level and used the atmosphere of the crowd.

Yeah, he's a tricky player because he's so unpredictable with his patterns and he's going forehand line when usually some players don't go forehand line and hitting backhand winners from anywhere and volleying really well.

I think he only missed a couple volleys today. Yeah, it was a really, really tough match. Yeah, nice to get through it.

Q. A question about coaching. From last summer on it's allowed to coach between the points. Do you think it's a good thing or not? Did you get some important advice during your match today which changed the match?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I'm not too worried too much about the coaching. Usually I'm just trying to figure it out for myself.

Yeah, I think it's good you can say a few things here and there, but I'm not really too concerned about it. If players want to use it, great. My coach saying a few things here and there, but nothing too major.

Yeah, he didn't say too much, so for me, I don't mind really.

Q. When you're in a scrap like that, is it a little calming to be able to think that maybe as it goes deeper and deeper you're probably going to be stronger physically?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think for sure, and knowing that I have done a lot of preparation and a lot of hard work over the last couple months.

Yeah, I was feeling better and better as the match went on, and yeah, he looked like he was feeling decent physically too. Yeah, I think that's one thing I try to pride myself on and being as prepared as I can in all aspects.

I think that showed a little bit towards the end, and I was able to win a couple of the tougher games when, for the majority of the match, he was winning those tougher games.