But even as this most important match slipped out of his hands, Norrie remained as he always does. He remained composed as the toys fell away from him, frantically searching for a solution to his problems. After successful points he kept his chest high and his fist raised, offering himself constant encouragement. Norrie fought hard to the finish, as he always does, and was rewarded for his endurance with the biggest win of his life. From two sets to one on Court No 1, he rallied to defeat his Belgian opponent 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the first grand slam semi-final of his career . , at Wimbledon. Already the fourth Briton to reach the ATP top 10, Norrie continues to rank as one of the best players from these shores. He is the fourth Briton in the Open era to reach a Wimbledon semi-final after Andy Murray, Tim Henman and Roger Taylor. As he reflected on his accomplishments on the floor after his victory, Norrie was on the verge of tears. “I think winning a match like that, I’m shocked. I don’t know what to say now,” he said. “I look back on all the hard work and all the sacrifices I’ve had to make and it’s definitely paid off – and it feels really good.” David Goffin led two sets to one but saw his semi-final hopes end in the fifth set. Photo: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Despite not breaking out, Goffin’s No. 58 ranking belies his status as a former top-10 player whose ranking has fallen due to injury. He was excellent early on. He has built a wonderful career by making up for his slight frame through his quick foot speed and magic with his hands. Few players in the world can consistently meet the ball early and switch directions from both wings with such impeccable timing. He pulled Norrie from side to side, lasering winners down the line on both wings as he took a 6-4, 4-3 lead. Norrie’s persistence eventually led to a breakthrough in the second set as he recovered the break and then took the set with a supreme return game at 6-5. But Goffin quickly regained control of the baseline and cruised into the third set. However, Norrie continued to work. After making it 4-3 in the fourth set, he began hitting the raucous crowd, orchestrating the crowd as he brought the spectators to their feet. The wall of noise from Court No 1 took its toll on Goffin in the long game that followed as he humbly hit a forehand to give up the break. A little later Norrie served the set. The crowd roared as the fifth set began and they stayed with Norrie as he saved a break point in the opening game and then held dear every service game until 5-5. Cameron Norrie serves to David Goffin. Photo: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian At that crucial point Norrie stood, closing his game, chasing the last ball and refusing to lose. Under the weight of the moment, the crowd and especially Norrie’s unrelenting intensity, Goffin finally broke down and conceded the decisive break with a series of errors. Without hesitation Norrie claimed victory. “I wasn’t going my way from the start and I wasn’t feeling good and I wasn’t feeling the ball,” Norrie said. “That was all credit to David. “He was exciting me, he was playing really well and I couldn’t find my game. I managed to stay as patient as I could. It was all adrenaline. I used my legs at the end and tried to put the ball in the field.” As the crowd of 10,000 took in Norrie’s achievement, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in attendance, chants of his surname echoed around the stadium. “Honestly, speechless. I can’t even talk,” he said. “Very happy to make it with such a great team, such great family and friends.” From the start of the tournament, given that seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz’s defeat left Norrie as the highest-ranked player in his division from the second round onwards, this was a significant opportunity. Norrie handled every moment extremely well and against a player with more talent on his hands, he showed all the qualities that have taken him to the top. “He was such a great fighter,” Goffin said afterward. “That’s why he’s in the top 10. He fights so hard. He is very consistent. He is very persistent and never gives up. This happened today.” Eighteen months ago, when Norrie was ranked 74th and appeared to be in the midst of a successful but unspectacular career, even those who appreciated his ability did not envision him as a top 10 player confidently heading into the final round of Wimbledon. But here it is. Having arrived here desperately trying to get past the third round of a grand slam tournament for the first time, he has unlocked so much more. Norrie will now face one of the biggest challenges in the sport, six-time champion and top seed Novak Djokovic, with a Wimbledon final on the line. As he always does, he will stay composed, fight for every point and then see where he ends up.
