Norrie defies predictions as Britain's last man standing

Britain's last man standing at Wimbledon is not the player you expected. Forgotten in the buildup to the Championships, Cameron Norrie is back and, with renewed vigour and hope, the British No 3 stormed into the fourth round with a straight-sets win (7-6 6-4 6-2) over Mattia Bellucci on a blazing Friday afternoon.

- JACK RATHBORN AT WIMBLEDON

As Great Britain eagerly prepared to anoint the new king of SW19, or at least a major contender in any lighthearted debate over renaming “Henman Hill”, finding a powerful lefty on the verge of the second week of Wimbledon would not have surprised many.

Yet it is not Jack Draper in 2025, whose desperately disappointing second-round defeat to the crafty Croatian Marin Cilic exposed the value of experience and composure on the live surface. Seeded four, Draper buckled under expectations and, in fairness, some fabulous tennis from a former Wimbledon finalist rolling back the years.

Instead, Norrie, remarkably just three years removed from snatching a one-set lead over a prime Novak Djokovic in the semifinals here, only to wilt in four sets, grew in strength as he cantered into the last 16.

That composure, released from the pressure of being the British No 1, proved decisive. Eventually. That’s after stumbling out of the blocks to lose the first four points on service, gifting the flamboyant Italian an early break, before dropping the next three points when he served again.

Norrie eventually settled and grew into the game. “I was hitting the ball really well,” said the world No 61, “but I started too confidently, going for it too much. But I then stole that first set, so it was even better for me to have a few chances and then play a great tiebreak. He was a bit up and down with his tennis. And I tried to stay as solid as I could, ride the waves. It was another battle, so I’m happy to go through. It was such a good match.”