British number one Cameron Norrie is delights crowd on No.1 Court as he reaches semi-final with victory in five sets
Ninth seed Norrie, 26, battled hard to secure a 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 win against unseeded Belgian Goffin.
Britain’s Cameron Norrie reached the Wimbledon semi-finals by fighting back to beat David Goffin in a memorable five-set thriller which left the home fans celebrating jubilantly.
As he made his way triumphantly to an on-court interview, the passionate supporters chanted his name in unison around one of the world’s most prestigious stadium courts.
“Norrie. Norrie. Norrie. Norrie. Norrie. Norrie,” they sang.
With respect to Tim Henman, who sat beside Prince William, and also to dual champion Murray, the grassy section outside No.1 Court was clearly “Norrie’s Knoll” for the day.
Fans enjoying the atmosphere rode the outcome of every point, and particularly the left-hander’s comeback, with as much passion as those positioned on the edge of their seats inside the arena.
Overwhelmed by the experience, Norrie was initially rendered speechless in the post-match interview.
Twice he took time to compose himself before explaining his delight at producing a performance of such magnitude in front of his family and friends and thousands of supporters, including members of the Royal Family.
"Honestly, I'm speechless!"
📢 Listen to that crowd. It's a dream come true for @cam_norrie at Wimbledon #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/NZxZ0Hb9Dq
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2022
Honestly, I am speechless,” he said. “I cannot even talk. I am so happy to get through with such a great team and such a great family and friends here.”
But it might not have happened without the crowd. “It just wasn’t going my way from the beginning,” he said.
“I was not feeling great and not feeling the ball and that was all credit to David. He was moving me (around) and I could not find my game.
“Thanks to you guys, I managed to stay as patient as I could. It was all just adrenaline and I used my legs at the end and tried to put the ball in the court and it is great to get over the line, for sure.”
Norrie, who vowed to give everything he had against Djokovic in a bid to end the Serbian’s 26-match winning streak at Wimbledon, said the triumph made every sacrifice worthwhile.
As a teenager he moved from New Zealand, where his parents still live, to England and later the United States in a bid to further his development, and his dedication has paid dividends.
“Just winning a match like this … it is a flashback of all the hard work, all the pre-seasons and all the sacrifices I have had to make. It definitely pays off and it feels pretty good,” he said.
“It is great to get this (win) but it only gets tougher. I am going to come out and enjoy that and take it to (Novak).
“I hope you guys can get behind me again and I am sure you will, judging by the sound of that (celebration).”
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