AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2024

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/C. Ruud

6-4, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. You're into Week 2. Quick thoughts on your next match? We don't know who your opponent is, but if you could talk about either one of them.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was good fun today. Obviously looking forward. It's going to be a tough one: Zverev or Michelsen. They just started now. Both great players.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Can you sum up, ranking of your performances in recent times?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was so good. I was really enjoying it from start to finish. I really felt a sense of calm throughout the whole match.

I embraced the atmosphere. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Yeah, they were behind me, as well, the crowd, so I think that definitely played a factor in the match.

In terms of performances, it was, yeah, up there with one of my best I think in a Grand Slam. Losing that second set, a few set points, and he served really well. I came out with a lot of energy. Then down a break in the third. Managed to stay really tough.

But, yeah, I was committed to the game plan, and I loved it. I played really well today. Good day.

Q. When was the last time you played that well?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, not for a while. Yeah, I think it just came down to just enjoying it and going for it. Yeah, Casper served really well, I thought, through the whole match. He dropped a little bit towards the end, but yeah, he was serving really well. It was tough to break him.

Q. What do you think Stephen Huss would make of your volleying tonight, and how proud were you of that aspect of your game?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think he doesn't give me too many praises too often, so I think he'll be decently happy with the volleys. He was out there watching as well today, so it was good to have him.

Yeah, along with that I think it was a really complete match on my serve. I served really well and managed my service games well. I think that was the difference. I think every time I have played Casper before this, I lost to him because he managed his service games better. I think that was the small difference tonight.

Q. Has Stephen been particularly focusing on net play?

CAMERON NORRIE: Not really too much. You know, I think just it's just been a good addition to the team and helped Facu a lot with a few different ideas.

I think, yeah, he's seen tennis a lot. Awesomely good to have him around. He had pretty good volleys himself. I think maybe just hanging out with him, it's improved my volleys a little bit more, which is good (smiling).

But, yeah, I really enjoyed working with him, even if it was two weeks. Yeah, it was good.

Q. You talked on court a bit about feeling more free and being able to be aggressive. How big a mental challenge is it to do that? Especially someone like you who, you know, has tended to play a more kind of physical game style, to say, yeah, I'm going to take risks, it must be a bit scary, especially to someone who is not used to taking some risks?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I want to play physical matches. I think I was before playing physical, and it was physical for me and not so much for the other guy. I think trying to make it physical for the other guy and that kind of involves being aggressive. I think that's kind of when I'm playing my best tennis.

So, yeah, today was good. I stuck to the game plan, and it wasn't so physical today, in my opinion. The ball was quite quick, especially in, that first set, was still quite hot in there, and, yeah, it's quick conditions.

I think we both served well and there were a lot of quick games. I don't think it was that physical of a match. I'm feeling physically pretty good actually after that.

Q. You said several times how much you enjoyed it out there. Do you usually not enjoy it out there? Is that the way forward now with your tactics?

CAMERON NORRIE: No, I think it was just for today, you know, I lost to Casper three times already playing the other way. And just kind of playing my game and trying to play long points, long points, I really had to take a few more risks today. I think every opponent is different.

Yeah, I think it's best-of-five sets in a Grand Slam playing on John Cain for the first time, and I was feeling good. I really embraced the whole situation. Yeah, I was really proud about how I kind of handled not winning that second set and coming back strong.

I think, as I said, I was tougher to beat over five sets the other day, so it was nice to back that up again. Going to work on a few things tomorrow and get ready for the next one.

Q. You said you heard quite a few things shouted out in your favor. What was the favorite thing said?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think one guy was saying, Come on Nozz Dog, every kind of five minutes. I didn't actually spot who it was, but it was from one section.

I think the whole crowd, it was good timing for them, Saturday afternoon. They had a few drinks, and yeah, they were enjoying themselves and got behind me. I think it was a good time to go play. Maybe a little bit later on could have been a bit too much, but it was good to see everyone enjoying themselves, and yeah, I really like that court.

Even with the people moving around, it was a really good atmosphere, and hopefully I'm back on that court again for the next match.

Q. Obviously last season through the second half of the season, results maybe didn't quite go your way. You talked about maybe not feeling your best on court, things like that. Does it make it sweeter now to be at this stage and playing the way you did? Do you think that maybe is partly to do with how much you're enjoying now that you are feeling...

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think so. I think, yeah, even just being in the second week for the first time in Australia, never done that. Means a lot to do that and start the year playing some good tennis.

I think it just helped having a good break and a really good offseason to put a lot of time on the court and get better as a player. Yeah, I think just it comes down to how can you play the biggest points the best and feeling calm and feeling good about yourself. I have done that, and I was feeling that coming into the season.

I want to keep going. I know it just gets tougher. Next match is going to be tougher. I'll enjoy today and then move on.

Q. There was a challenging start to your preparations and coming here with the wrist pain before, being two sets down in the second round. I just wonder, at what point, I don't know if it was today during the match or in practice, at what point did you feel things clicked for you where suddenly, you know, you felt a bit better in yourself and felt confident to come out there like that?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think I was quite nervous the first couple rounds. I think it just took a lot of confidence coming back from two sets to love and things weren't looking good. Zeppieri was outplaying me and took the racquet out of my hand, and managed to play decent and better and better as the match went on there.

I think from following that match, I didn't really play my best and wasn't really feeling mentally that good and was able to win that match in five sets. So I think I was feeling really confident after that one. Then waking up this morning, I was feeling good and ready to take it to Casper.

I know he's a really tough player and top player, he's been No. 2 in the world, and he's made a couple Grand Slam finals. I knew it was going to be tough.

Yeah, it was a good challenge. I think it always helps being the underdog and going into the match with nothing really to lose. So, yeah, today I felt really differently and was able to really play well and managed my service games really well.

Q. As you said, you don't know who your opponent will be, but if it is Alexander Zverev, you've got a similar head-to-head as you did with Casper, you have been through the experience already, how do you go about that? Do you set that aside and forget about the head-to-head or do you focus on that?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it's good. I sat down yesterday with Facu and watched the matches with Casper back, and we talked a lot about what wasn't working. I think there will be a lot of things in there with Zverev.

You know, I don't know who I play yet, but the last few times I have played him it's kind of been a similar match every time, a tough kind of set, and then he's run away with it.

Yeah, I'm going to sit down, enjoy tonight and watch the match actually that just started and watch Michelsen as well. He's a really tough up-and-coming player, really confident at the moment and has an unbelievable serve. I think he'd be quite challenging for Sascha.

But I'm looking forward to watching the match and we'll see.

Q. On the game plan we saw tonight, how much was that to do with the opponent you were playing? Could we expect to see kind of a similar thing from you going forward, or, you know, is it going to be more nuance than that?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I really had to be brave tonight tactically against Casper. I had to really execute. It's not easy to do that. I managed to do that.

I think the kind of opponent, depends who I play, you know, I think the tactics is always interesting, but it was really good to know I had that in there tonight. Yeah, I thought I executed the game plan quite well.