THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 7, 2023

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. EUBANKS/C. Norrie

6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to Cam Norrie's press conference.

Questions, please.

Q. Must have been a tough day for you. A lot of hope and expectation. It just didn't work out the way you wanted it to.

CAMERON NORRIE: I think credit to Chris on that one. He played unbelievable. Served well. Came out, was hitting the ball huge. Didn't miss at all.

Yeah, it was credit to him. I got outplayed. I couldn't really get into the match how I wanted. Wasn't feeling the ball, like, that well today.

I fought as hard as I could. Yeah, came up against someone who was really confident. He played great. So he definitely deserved to win the match. I told him that. Everything went his way today, and he deserved it.

Q. You hadn't played him before. Was his power a bit of a surprise to you?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I know him from college. Watched him play a lot. I know his game pretty well. I had a really good plan going into the match. I was feeling confident.

He was redlining, playing so aggressive. Yeah, I think it was credit to him. He executed how he was hitting the ball, and what he was going for was so aggressive and so risky, and it paid off for him. Credit to him. He deserved it.

Yeah, I fought as hard as I can, felt how well I was hitting the ball today. I think I could have done a bit more on returns, made him play on the second-serve return a bit more. I think that would be the only thing I would like to change, and maybe hit my spots on my serve a bit more.

In some games he seemed to quite easily get hold of some returns. He was seeing the ball huge today. Too good.

Obviously disappointed, but I came up against someone tough. Yeah, pretty disappointed with everything.

Q. You were at home in front of a No. 1 Court crowd. They seemed to be quiet in the first set. Did you sense they were a bit shocked? They could have done a bit more to build the atmosphere?

CAMERON NORRIE: It was tough. There was not a lot happening in the match. It was absolute rockets from him and winners from him, unforced errors from him, everything up to him. It was tough for the crowd to get into the match. Tough for me to get into the match.

They were great. They responded well to me in the second set when I was up a break. He hit a few balls out, which is exactly what I needed. I felt it was a great atmosphere on that Court 1 today. It was a lot of fun playing out there again in Wimbledon.

Yeah, it was so much fun.

Q. Was there a point in the fourth set where you felt the momentum might have been turning in your direction?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think, yeah, when I broke to go 3-2 up, I felt like there was a big momentum shift. Then also to get that tough hold to go 4-2, as well. I thought that was massive.

He broke me to love I think at 4-3, played an unbelievable game, maybe hit three winners that game. Then going into the tiebreak, I was feeling good. I felt like the better player. I was up a mini break there, as well, had momentum. He managed to play well and get away with a few shots here and there, played aggressive, and it worked out for him.

I could tell he was confident. He deserved it. It was too good from him. For me, just pretty disappointed with the way I returned and served throughout the match.

It is what it is. Yeah, he was too good.

Q. Tennis is a sport about momentum. It's difficult when it shifts so quickly. Can you understand that as a player?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think I understand it better than anyone else. I can feel it. I can feel the ebbs and flows of the matches in the match.

I think today it was almost like nothing happening in the match. It was just a lot of serving from both of us, no rhythm to the points or anything. A lot was up to him.

It was credit to him to make the match like that and to play like that on his terms.

Q. In one way it was a day of the Brits, but that also means the support was split. Did you feel like that? At one point the three of you were playing at the same time.

CAMERON NORRIE: I wasn't thinking about that. I was fully locked into my match. The crowd got behind me. No, I was not thinking about that at all.

Q. Eubanks played well. Credit to him, like you say. This comes after a disappointing Aussie Open and French Open for you. How do you assess your playing at the slams thus far this year?

CAMERON NORRIE: I'm disappointed, like I said. I wanted to play well at the slams. It's not quite working out for me right now. I'm preparing as well as I can, leaving no stone unturned with my team, my preparation and everything.

More than anything I'm disappointed. Yeah, I want to play well in slams. I think there's no reason why not. I'm tougher to beat over five sets. But, yeah, I just need to keep improving.

Q. In the tiebreak you got that mini break. Then the net cord soon after, you couldn't get to the ball. That maybe was the turning point?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It would have been nice to win that point. I felt like a lot of shots went his way. He was really precise hitting the ball on the line, playing really well.

Yeah, in the end it was too good from him.

Q. Do you think Eubanks can be a threat at this Championships?

CAMERON NORRIE: With the way he played today, if he can do that repeatedly, I don't see why not. He's playing great. He's confident. Obviously he hasn't played too many big matches deep in slams before. I think that will be the toughest part for him.

His level at the moment and his confidence is unbelievable. He completely took the racquet out of my hand today. I did what I could, but it wasn't enough.

I haven't looked at the draw any further. But he's playing great.