Cameron Norrie reaches first-ever Grand Slam last 16 with straight sets win over Steve Johnson on Wimbledon Centre Court
CAMERON NORRIE breezed into the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career with a straight-sets battering of American Steve Johnson.
Norrie, the low-profile British No1, is in danger of making a genuine household name of himself after this ruthless display set up a last-16 date with another American, Tommy Paul.
The Centre Court crowd roared on the ninth seed with chants of “Norrie, Norrie, Norrie, Oi! Oi! Oi!” as he demolished Johnson 6-4 6-1 6-0 in a one-sided third-round clash.
It is the first time in five years a British man has made the fourth round at the All England Club.
Norrie, playing his 19th Grand Slam, said: “It feels really good to do it here at Wimbledon, at home, with all my friends and family watching. I enjoyed it and it was less stressful than the previous round.
“I want to keep going and keep ticking more boxes – and I’m as ready as I can be.”
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Norrie’s display was all about lung power and tenacity, as he never looked back after breaking Johnson to clinch the first set.
It is not as Britain has been stuffed to the seams with top-ten world-ranked tennis players over the years – yet Norrie can still walk down Wimbledon High Street without being asked for a selfie.
He is a man of the world – a Scottish father, a Welsh mother, born in South Africa, raised in New Zealand and schooled in Texas. The fact that he supports the All Blacks at rugby suggests he is not as
It does not help that Norrie, 26, has never enjoyed a serious run at a Grand Slam until now – coming a cropper against Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal in previous third-round matches at the Majors.
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But his consistency on tour has earned him a career-high ranking and and he has made the most of it this week.
He is athletic but unspectacular on court and not charismatic away from the action.
But this prime-time spot on Centre Court was his chance to attract a wider audience – especially with A-listers Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu already out.
Norrie twice forced two break points early on but was unable to capitalise as Johnson banged aces – but at 4-45 he pounced, swooping at the net to break the American on set point.
Johnson, who’d defeated Essex boy Ryan Peniston in the previous round, squandered a glorious chance to break early in the second when he netted a volley.
Norrie seized on this and broke Johnson in the next game, the Californian’s serve becoming erratic.
The first ‘Oi! Oi! Oi!’ chants rang out just as the Brit thumped a service-return winner down the baseline to break Johnson again.
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He broke once more at the start of the third via an outrageous improvised recovery shot and then a successful Hawkeye review to seal the deal.
Johnson looked a broken man after that and Norrie carried on relentlessly pummelling away to bagel his forlorn opponent in the final set.