Wimbledon: Cameron Norrie feeds off home crowd to set up semi-final showdown with Novak Djokovic

Cameron Norrie kept hopes alive of a third home winner in the Wimbledon men’s singles in a decade with a dramatic five-set victory over David Goffin in the quarter-finals.

The ninth seed twice recovered from a set down to claim a 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 victory on a raucous Court One and become only the fourth British man in the Open era to reach the last four at the All England Club.

There Norrie faces the immense challenge of trying to stop Novak Djokovic, who is bidding for a fourth consecutive title, but first he can enjoy a moment to rival many of Andy Murray’s great Wimbledon occasions.

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The British No 1, who had never previously made it past the third round of a grand slam, did not find his best tennis until the fourth set but hung in the contest impressively before eventually wearing his Belgian opponent down.

Cameron Norrie celebrates winning his quarter-final match against David Goffin Picture: John Walton/PACameron Norrie celebrates winning his quarter-final match against David Goffin Picture: John Walton/PA
Cameron Norrie celebrates winning his quarter-final match against David Goffin Picture: John Walton/PA

Norrie clinched victory on his second match point, raising his arms aloft when Goffin netted a forehand after three hours and 28 minutes.

Norrie struggled to hold back his emotions, saying: “I’m speechless. So happy to get through with such a great team and such a great family.”

The 26-year-old had urged the crowd to get behind him before and during the match, and he said: “It wasn’t going my way from the beginning, I wasn’t feeling well and feeling the ball, that’s all credit to David.

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“Then thanks to you guys, I stayed as patient as I could. It was just adrenaline. I used my legs at the end and just tried to put the ball in the court.

Cameron Norrie in action during his quarter-final match against David Goffin Picture: John Walton/PACameron Norrie in action during his quarter-final match against David Goffin Picture: John Walton/PA
Cameron Norrie in action during his quarter-final match against David Goffin Picture: John Walton/PA

“I think just winning a match like this, straight flashbacks of all the hard work, all the pre-seasons and all the sacrifices I’ve had to make. It definitely pays off and it feels pretty good.”

Norrie’s forehand down the line had been the shot of the match against Tommy Paul on Sunday but the tables were turned here as Goffin found the white paint time and again.

He converted his first break point in the sixth game when Norrie just missed a cross-court forehand and went on to deservedly take the set.

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Norrie could not find the same level he had against Paul and Steve Johnson in round three, particularly on his forehand. He battled hard to stay on level terms at the start of the second, saving a break point in the opening game and then coming back from 0-40 to hold at 2-2, with the crowd urging on their man. His resistance ran out in his next service game but Goffin’s momentum was then unexpectedly broken by a poor game of his own to hand the advantage back.

Novak Djokovic reacts to a shout from the crowd during his quarter final match against Jannik Sinner Picture: Aaron Chown/PANovak Djokovic reacts to a shout from the crowd during his quarter final match against Jannik Sinner Picture: Aaron Chown/PA
Novak Djokovic reacts to a shout from the crowd during his quarter final match against Jannik Sinner Picture: Aaron Chown/PA

And Norrie capitalised impressively, creating two set points in the 12th game and taking the first to a roar from the crowd.

But the home hope found himself 4-0 behind in double-quick time in the third, eventually succumbing 6-2.

A strong start to the fourth was essential and the ‘Norrie, Norrie, Norrie’ chant that took hold during his third-round victory over Johnson was enthusiastically taken up by the crowd.

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Norrie found some of his best tennis of the match to put pressure on Goffin, who was starting to show slight signs of fatigue, and, after chasing down a drop shot to create a second break point in a long eighth game, he forced the Belgian to net.

David Goffin in action during his quarter-final match against Cameron Norrie Picture: John Walton/PADavid Goffin in action during his quarter-final match against Cameron Norrie Picture: John Walton/PA
David Goffin in action during his quarter-final match against Cameron Norrie Picture: John Walton/PA

He greeted an unreturnable serve on his third set point with a punch of the air as for the second time this fortnight Norrie recovered from a deficit to engineer a fifth set.

The scales had tipped marginally in his favour but Goffin showed what a gritty competitor he is against Tiafoe and, serving first, he kept his nose in front until the 11th game, when Norrie’s probing finally earned him the crucial break.

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