CINCH CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 23, 2023

Cameron Norrie

Queens Club

Press Conference

S. KORDA/C. Norrie

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Cam, he said that he considers himself amongst the sort of genuine contenders for Wimbledon. Would you go along with that after today?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think he's very comfortable on the grass. I think best-of-five sets is a different ball game. I think it's a very confident thing today, especially if he's only won a couple matches on the grass, but he really likes it. If he wins the title here, I would say yeah. I would say for sure he's among one of the favorites.

Yeah, he served and returned really well today. Made it difficult for me to find some rhythm, and I think I did well to get myself in the match but just pretty disappointed the way I finished the match.

I fought really hard to get back into the match and then played a very loose start to the tiebreak. He capitalized on that.

Q. Your form has not been what we expect of you. You haven't managed three wins in a row since March. Are you concerned about that going into Wimbledon?

CAMERON NORRIE: No, I'm feeling like I definitely turned a corner after the clay. Really good preparation. I was feeling really good on the last couple weeks, and then I played three really good matches. You know, not my best performance today, but I feel like I'm definitely improving.

Yeah, in the big moments I think I haven't been playing as well as I was earlier in the year. So looking to get back to preparing for Wimby.

Q. That aside, do you think when it comes to Wimbledon, best-of-five, you'll be ready?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think I'm going to do my best. I have some time to rest now, prepare as well as I can, and yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Can you explain why don't you think you were able to act on those big moments? Is it something you can think on or is it just the moment and it comes and it goes?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think in that first set I had a lot of chances on his serve at the beginning of the match, and yeah, I didn't capitalize in the rally. Yeah, I was returning great the rest of the times, and a couple of moments in that first set I missed a couple of second-serve returns and a couple rally balls that I wouldn't usually do so.

Then he served really well and took advantage of that, but yeah, I definitely did well to get back in the match, and I needed to play a few more good points in a row to break like I did in that second set. And then, yeah, I needed to definitely tidy up the errors at the end of the second and the first point of the tiebreak, and then the second-serve return I missed. And then, yeah, he served well and returned well the rest of the tiebreak.

Yeah, it's the smaller moments on the grass where you have to be right there mentally; otherwise the other chances can go quite quickly. He did a really good job today of serving his way out of trouble in those moments.

Q. Would you back yourself if you were to play him at Wimbledon to beat him over five sets? And also, next week Hurlingham, is that just to play to get some more match practice out there? What's the thinking behind that next week?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it will be a good match to watch at Wimbledon. I think he's one of the guys on tour that I think it's a really tough matchup for me. Even on the hard courts, always had battles with him. He's played really well, and I think he likes my game style.

So I think over five sets, I think it would be a really good match. I would like to play him in the latter stages of Wimbledon, for sure. I think it will be a fun match.

Q. Hurlingham, you're obviously not playing Eastbourne next week. What's the thinking behind Hurlingham, playing a couple of matches there rather than the alternatives basically?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it will be good fun to play those matches and stay, and I can really plan my practices better. I know which days I'm going to play there. I know I've got two matches, and it will be good to play against some top players and work on a few things.

Then just staying in London as well, and I'm going to be ready for Wimbledon and not traveling down to Eastbourne. Obviously last year I went to play and I got some matches, which was great. Ended up fortunately losing earlier, so I was able to come back and prepare and feel good.

I'm excited to play there, in Hurlingham.

Q. You've got tape on your left knee, which I think we saw in Paris. Any concerns? Any lingering doubts fitness-wise to the knee?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yes. I think as tennis players you're always dealing with niggles all over. I think I'm doing my best day in and day out to address that as well as I can. I think it helps that it's on the grass. It's a little bit softer on the knees.

Yeah, I'm managing it as best as I can, and yeah, for sure I'm going to prepare as well as I can and make sure I'm ready for Wimbledon. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that's feeling as good as it can.

Q. You just referred to it there about five sets compared to three sets. I just wondered, how much more do you back yourself when you've got time to regain momentum and come back into matches? At Wimbledon you're playing best-of-five, completely different scenario, so how much more do you back yourself when you've got those longer matches?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it's definitely a different match, playing best-of-five. And I think for me I really think it should suit me better, and I really have been more experienced over the years now playing best-of-five-set matches against some of the other players.

Yeah, I think usually as the match goes on and on and I get my teeth into the match, it usually works in my favor, especially with the way I play and the way my game style is.

I think over time I can break guys down physically and just putting the ball in awkward situations, so I think the longer I stay out there, the better it is for me most of the time. So I'm really excited to getting going.