CINCH CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 21, 2023

Cameron Norrie

Queens Club

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/J. Thompson

4-6, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Cam. Back to the quarterfinal at Queen's since 2021. How do you feel about your performance today?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I feel good. It was good to get through that match. I was playing well. He was playing really well, serving well. There was a couple points in that first set, and I didn't feel like I really needed to change too much and I was able to keep my energy high. Enjoyed it and nice to get through the match from a set down.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. When did you hear about Andy Murray pulling out of the doubles?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, he messaged me this morning.

Q. What are your thoughts about that? Are you disappointed?

CAMERON NORRIE: It would be nice to play with him, for sure. But I understand. He's played a lot of matches, and I see he's got his eyes on Wimby. He wants to be fresh for that.

For me, no big deal. It makes sense. Hopefully we can play again soon. I'd love to do that.

Q. We talked a lot about Andy Murray's seeding potential this week, but I think if you get in the top 12, that gives you a little more protection at the Wimbledon draw. Have you thought about that at all? Is that a goal this week?

CAMERON NORRIE: I actually haven't thought about that, no. If it happens, I'll take it. I'm going to keep pushing my level match for match and spend as long as I can out there on the match court to feel good for Wimbledon.

It was a perfect match today to do that and against a player who is playing really well on the grass and was serving well. He's played already two or three tournaments on the grass already and a number of matches. So to win against Thommo today was a great win for me.

Q. You came close here a couple years ago. You didn't play on grass much when you were younger. Still a long way away yet, still three more wins to go potentially, but would it be quite nice to have a grass court title if you do that at some point in your career?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think it would be better than quite nice. I think it would be unreal to do that, and especially here at Queen's. I came so close. I think I still had never won a title yet when I was in the final with Berrettini. I really thought that was going to be the one.

Yeah, it was a tough one. Yeah, a big goal of mine to get a title on the grass. Yeah, like you said, long way away, but yeah, still in it and still need to keep improving everything in my game. There are some things I need to tidy up in my game for sure.

Q. Did you get to watch any of the Ashes yesterday? After Andy lost to Alex as well yesterday, is it good to restore a bit of British sporting pride today?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I was watching the last kind of four or five days anyway, and it was looking unlikely, but I thought that they played great, the England team with Brendan McCullum, as well.

Yeah, I thought they were aggressive. I didn't see the end of it. I saw Australia won, but yeah, nice to get a bit of redemption there, especially with Andy's match yesterday and good to get the win, for sure.

Q. Is there much chat in the players room -- I saw Alex watching it before going on yesterday -- between you and the Aussies?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, there's a bunch of chat about all kind of sports. Yeah, I'm in a Fantasy Football NRL league with some of the Aussies. I know them quite well and I'm good friends with them. Yeah, so we're always watching all sports.

Q. You're playing Sebastian Korda or Frances Tiafoe. Could you just talk about each opponent please?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, Tiafoe obviously coming off a title, playing really well. Probably having his best season of his career or end of last year was playing great too. Yeah, it's going to be a tough match.

And Korda, he's beaten me a few times. I beat him the last time. Yeah, he's a good player on the grass. He looked really smooth yesterday against Evo.

I think it's going to be a really tough match for both. I'm not sure who is going to win. I think obviously Tiafoe has got a bit more confidence. Yeah, I've seen a bit of Break Point, yeah.

Q. Do you fancy being in Break Point if they asked you?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it's a tricky one. I think for me it's more important to keep training as hard as I can and to be known for being a tennis player and a good competitor. I think it's a big distraction having the cameraman there full time.

I think it's great what they're doing for tennis, promoting tennis, and getting some new fans into the sport and people learning about tennis.

But I'm not sure what I'd do. I think I probably wouldn't do it, but that's me right now, but I can understand why some players fancy it and why they are choosing the players that they are.

But for me, I prefer Andy Murray's documentary and I'd prefer to do something myself if I were to do something one day.

Q. Jordan served, I actually didn't see the final tally of aces, but there were a lot of them today. You will have a very good server in the next round whoever you play. On grass, you tend to come up against these guys because the surface suits them. How do you kind of keep your cool when the ball's pinging off lines and flying past you and you just haven't got the chance to get a racquet on it? Have you changed your return position? You still look quite deep on the court.

CAMERON NORRIE: Jordan was serving great today and hitting all the spots. Yeah, he made it look quite easy getting over 130, just rolling it in over 130, and I'm getting up there, putting everything into it, and it's like 122.

So it's obviously a huge weapon for him, and I think you can't really let it distract you too much. You know it's going to happen, and I was able to stay patient. I think his serve percentage dropped a little bit towards the end, and I think, yeah, if he was still serving the way he was, I'd maybe have to mix up the return position.

But I felt like when I got a racquet on it I was actually finding the court well, and I was really trying to stay with big targets on the return to make him play a lot. Especially on the grass, you know, it can be tricky to play those first balls if they're coming on to you quickly. I was trying to put a lot of pressure on him that way.

Q. People often say with Rafa Nadal that when he's hitting his forehand down the line well, that's when he's feeling his best. For you, is there a shot that when you're feeling good on the court, that that's the shot you feel most confident?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think I'm the same as Rafa. When I'm feeling the forehand line and I'm finding good direction on it and it's a great shot, you know, you get to watch it fully up the line and you know exactly how well you're hitting it.

I think with a lefty kind of curling back in, I think when I'm hitting that one well, especially on the grass, it's a good indicator when I'm playing well. So I think similar to Rafa in that aspect.