Cam Norrie insists reaching the Indian Wells final this weekend is only a stepping stone to much greater ambitions as the Brit prepares for what is the biggest match of his career to date.
Aged 26 and with just one title to his name since turning pro, Norrie could arguably be seen as a late developer among Britain’s current crop of greats.
At his age, Andy Murray had won two grand slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. Emma Raducanu won the US Open last month as an 18-year-old.
Six of Norrie’s seven career finals – including Monday’s midnight clash with Nikoloz Basilashvili in California – have come in 2021. And while his sole title triumph was in Mexico back in July, the experienced left-hander is starting to enjoy the success the early days of his career promised would materialise.
Yet grand slams remain his ambition.
“I’ve had some opportunities there to make the second week of a slam, but it’s not gone my way,” Norrie said after beating Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-4 in Saturday’s semi-final.
“It’s all been great learning for me. Hopefully with these results I can put myself in a higher seeding there, then maybe have some more chances.
“I’ve faced some pretty decent players this year in the third round (at the slams). Those experiences have been great for me, those big matches.”
Indeed, 2021 really has been a stand-out year. Norrie started the season 74th in the world, which meant he endured tough routes against seeded players in major tournaments. But as his performances picked up, so did his ranking. Reaching finals in Portugal, France and at Queen’s earned him ranking points he just couldn’t acquire in the slams.
Being 26th in the world now means he’ll avoid some of the tougher opponents when it comes to next year’s slams.
Norrie lost to Rafael Nadal in the third round of Melbourne and Roland Garros, and to Roger Federer at the same stage of Wimbledon. No wonder he is more concerned about points than ever before.
Indian Wells men’s final
- Date: Monday 18 October
- Time: 4pm Sunday local time (midnight in the UK)
- Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California
- TV/live stream: Amazon Prime Video on laptop, desktop, smart TV or via the Prime Video app (£7.99 a month as part of Prime subscription)
And a Masters victory this weekend against a lesser-ranked opponent in Basilashvili, who at 29 boasts five ATP titles yet has only once made it past the fourth round of a slam, would only further his cause heading into 2022.
Norrie said: “He’s an incredibly tough player, especially when he’s this confident.
“He hits the ball big off both sides. He moves well. He’s a great athlete. When he’s confident, he can beat anyone. He’s super dangerous.
“It’s going to be difficult, but I’m feeling good physically and looking forward to getting out there. He’s looking good. He’s serving well. He’s being very proactive with his forehand. He’s looking dangerous.”
