Cameron Norrie hopes his run at the BNP Paribas Open will set him on course for future success at the Grand Slams where he is yet to reach the second week.
The world No.26 has broken new territory by reaching his first ever Masters 1000 final at Indian Wells and is only the fourth man from his country to do so at the tournament. He sealed his place in the final on Saturday with a 6-2, 6-4, win over Grigor Dimitrov in just under 90 minutes. Dimitrov is the third seed Norrie has beaten in the tournament after Roberto Bautista Agut and Diego Schwartzman.
Norrie’s unprecedented run has also sealed his spot in the world’s top 20 next week for the first time in his career. He will also overtake Dan Evans to become the new British world No.1. The new milestones occurs during what has been a breakthrough season for the 26-year-old who has reached the final at five other tournaments, winning his maiden title at the Los Cabos Open in Mexico.
However, in the Grand Slams Norrie is yet to make his mark. Out of 16 main draw appearances, he has managed to reach the third round four times with three of those occurring this year. His combined win-loss records at major tournaments currently stand at 12-16.
“I’ve had some opportunities there to make the second week of a slam, but it’s not gone my way,” Norrie said during his press conference on Saturday.
“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.”
However, the losses he suffered at Grand Slams this season has been to high-profile names. He was defeated by Rafael Nadal at both the Australian Open and French Open. Then at Wimbledon he fell to Roger Federer. The only exception was at the US Open where he lost to Spanish rising star Carlos Alcaraz Garfia who went on to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas and reach the quarter-finals.
“I’ve been playing a lot of big matches this year, which has helped. I feel like I am used to the big moments and the big matches,” Norrie said. “I’m feeling more and more comfortable and I feel like I am playing on my terms in key moments.”
Now on the verge of becoming the first British player in history to win the Indian Wells title, Norrie takes on Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in the final. A player who he thrashed 6-0, 6-3, in Rotterdam earlier this year.
“I’m looking forward to the match and really looking forward to going out and enjoying it again,” he said.
Norrie was born is South Africa and grew up in New Zealand. He attended University in Texas where he became the No.1 college player in America. He has represented Great Britain since 2013.
