Cameron Norrie delivers a statement with win over British number one Jack Draper
Norrie beat the man who supplanted him at the top of the British game last month.
Fired-up Cameron Norrie shot down new British number one Jack Draper to reach the Wimbledon third round and prove a point to his rival.
Norrie arrived in SW19 in no sort of form but played like a man who had heard enough about being replaced at the top of the country’s rankings by the new kid in town.
Draper, 22, had said beforehand that Norrie “won’t like the fact that I’m number one now. I’m a lot younger”.
But 28-year-old Norrie did his talking on Court One with a ruthless 7-6 (3) 6-4 7-6 (6) victory.
“It was not easy to come out and play Jack, and we are good friends off the court,” he said.
“I had to put that aside. I was a bit of an underdog but I was relaxed to be honest.
“I’m feeling really good physically and wanted to trust my movement and my legs. The level is there and I used my experience against Jack.
“I was a bit nervy at the end of that tie-break but I got it done. It’s a special day for me.”
Norrie is a former world number eight and was a semi-finalist here just two years ago, but his results have nosedived this season and he has dropped outside the top 40.
However, this was a stunning – if surprising – reminder of his Wimbledon pedigree in the first meeting of the men’s British numbers one and two at a grand slam since Tim Henman beat Greg Rusedski in the 2002 Australian Open.
No shots were fired in this latest battle of Britain until the first set tie-break, when a Norrie drop shot left a scrambling Draper lying on his back at the net.
Norrie’s volley to win the set had Draper muttering towards his team, prodding his chest before discarding his racket in disgust as he sat down.
A pumped-up Norrie broke a subdued Draper at the start of the second with the first break point of the match.
Barely 10 minutes later Norrie had won 14 of the next 15 points to lead 4-0 on his way to a two-set lead.
Draper had needed five sets to beat Elias Ymer in round one and was going to have to do the same if he was to reach the third round for the first time.
He finally broke for 4-2 in the third with a stunning backhand winner past his fellow left-hander.
But when serving for the set Draper was broken to love, another cross-court pass followed by the ubiquitous Norrie fist pump.
In the tie-break Draper saved one match point on his own serve, but when he double-faulted Norrie made no mistake with the second.
