Cameron Norrie desperate to make it game over for Wimbledon legend Roger Federer after ‘video game’ first meeting
CAMERON NORRIE hopes to make it ‘game over’ for Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
The British number two faces the eight-time champion two-and-a-half years after feeling like a character in a video game when facing the glamorous Swiss superstar.
That was back in December 2018 at the knockabout Hopman Cup in Australia and Norrie got thrashed.
It should be a closer game on Saturday as Norrie is one of the most in-form players on the planet.
Norrie, 25, has reached three finals in 2021 including Queen’s last month and has won 31 matches – including today’s straight-sets victory over Aussie Alex Bolt.
The 29th seed said: “I remember when I walked out, it was all dark. Then I remember looking back, and he was walking out with the spotlight on him.
“He was coming out to play against me. I felt like I was in a video game, going to play Roger Federer.
“It’s going to be a pleasure to play against him again. I played him once before.
“He absolutely whacked me pretty easily. I lost pretty quickly. I think it was 6-1 6-1.”
Federer’s love affair with Wimbledon fans will be tested to the limit against the new British darling.
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Federer joked: “Cameron is a good guy and he is having a great year. He played really well at Queen’s and I’m so happy that it is going so well for him – but enough now, he needs to go out.
“I hope the crowd gets into it, if they cheer for him because he is a Brit or if it is for me because of the last 20 years here and all those big matches I have played in.”
Federer, 39, has played only ten matches in 18 months having undergone double knee surgery.
He is still getting into gear and needed a tiebreak to win the first set before settling into his stride and taking the next two 6-1 then 6-4 with the entire Centre Court crowd on his side.
South Africa-born Norrie, 25, needed a wake up call against Bolt at 3-0 down within the first 13 minutes on Court One.
He then won 11 games on the spin take full control and it finished 6-3 6-1 6-2.
Norrie’s victory makes it three British men into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since 1999 as he joined Dan Evans and Andy Murray.
Norrie denies using the ‘sh-word’ while playing Bolt despite making the crowd giggle several times when he appeared to use the word during play.
He said: “I’m not swearing at all. I think when I’m hitting the ball, I’m saying ‘shh,’ like releasing air.
“I think the crowd think that I am swearing because I hear a couple people mumbling.
“I think I’m trying to get a little more topspin on the ball. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m not swearing. I’m not swearing.”
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