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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When @cam_norrie is reminded who he'll meet in the third round…
"Come on Gasquet!"
https://t.co/LU6rYqBLgJ#bbctennis #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/K1vp1RGL3B
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 1, 2021
Next round: Roger Federer v Cameron Norrie
"Cam's a good guy… but enough now, he needs to go out, I need to go through"
Watch #Wimbledon on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport app.#bbctennis pic.twitter.com/47ci6qcKGP
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 1, 2021
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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