Cameron Norrie is hoping seventh time’s a appeal when he takes on Alexander Zverev within the third spherical of the Australian Open.
Norrie has turn out to be the dependable face of British tennis, failing to succeed in the final 32 at a Grand Slam solely thrice in his final 15 appearances.
He’s the final British singles participant standing as soon as once more after battling to a four-set win over American Emilio Nava on Wednesday.
Subsequent up, he faces a well-known foe in third seed Zverev, who has received all six of their tour-level conferences, however Norrie goes into the conflict in bullish spirits.
“I think I can trouble him, for sure,” mentioned the twenty sixth seed. “I will have to actually play an entire match and play effectively for 4 hours, I feel, to have an opportunity with him.
“I actually can take a whole lot of confidence from the primary three weeks of the yr, how I am managing my service video games, how I am placing a whole lot of returns in court docket. I really feel like I am there each single level.
“I know that’s kind of my trademark, to be there every point. I think I’ve been doing a really good job with that. My tennis has been there. I’ve been feeling the ball great. I think mentally I’m feeling in a good place.”
Norrie was near dropping outdoors the highest 100 final spring after damage issues and a dip in kind, however he has bounced again impressively and is now pushing in direction of a return to the highest 20.
He was helped in opposition to Nava by the raucous help he acquired from an enthusiastic crowd and, though there is not going to be the identical feeling of spectators hanging over the court docket on the cavernous John Cain Area, there ought to nonetheless be a very good environment within the evening session.
Norrie was defeated by Zverev at Wimbledon in 2024
And for proof of how he can hassle Zverev, who reached his third Grand Slam ultimate right here final yr, Norrie solely must look again two years to their assembly within the final 16 at Melbourne Park.
There, Norrie pushed the German all the best way to a fifth-set tie-break earlier than dropping – one in every of 5 defeats to top-10 gamers he has had at his final seven slams.
“I’ll definitely watch that one,” mentioned Norrie. “I used the drop shot unreal that day. I was playing so free, enjoying the match so much, coming forward a lot. I was troubling him a lot and mixing it up a lot. I think I’m going to have to sprinkle some of that in, for sure.”
The 30-year-old is aware of a change he’ll make if he finds himself in the identical state of affairs, saying: “I think maybe in that fifth-set tie-break I used (the drop shot) too much and missed a couple of shots I would not usually go for.
“I feel he’ll do not forget that match. It was so robust. However I am excited to have one other crack at him. I will do not forget that, if I am within the fifth set tie-break once more, I am going to attempt to be extra aggressive and be the one going for it, perhaps to not bail out on a drop shot.”
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