Australian Open Sunday, 14 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Cameron Norrie Press Conference

guys? R. NADAL/C. Norrie CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think he played pretty 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 smart. I was going a lot into his backhand, and he was using his slice line out to my forehand to neutralize. THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. I don't think he wanted to get into kind of Q. A tough match tonight. Can you talk us through backhand-to-backhand rallies with me. I think that's it. where I could hurt him, so I think he was tactically pretty smart from the get-go. CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was tough. Always gonna be nice to play a big dog like Rafa. Just kind of a bit Yeah, it definitely gives me a lot of confidence that I strange playing the other night on Thursday and such a could play close, but it was a bit frustrating. I mean, great atmosphere and good crowd, and then coming out there was a lot of, especially in that first set I had a lot of there on the biggest court with no one there and it was chances, and, yeah, just a couple loose points and a pretty dull. But I think I played okay. couple of errors and that can cost him, and he didn't make those and I did. That was that set. And then again I was just a little bit disappointed with a couple of -- some in the second set, as well. execution, especially in the first set, and he didn't really have to work too hard to get that first set. Then I did well Yeah, a lot of positives to take and a lot of things that I to hang in there in the third. want to get better at and a lot of stuff I want to tidy up in my game. But, yeah, all credit to him. He was just pretty proactive on his service games. Yeah, it was just a couple loose But, yeah, I think I want more from myself. Yeah, it was errors and I was right in there in the match, but it was, obviously tough to play him, but, yeah, it was a good yeah, just bit disappointing with some loose errors there. experience altogether.

Q. It's never easy, probably never been harder to Q. You had obviously seen lots of Rafa before, I'm reach the round of 16. The way you played Rafa sure on TV and in the flesh. What was it like being tonight, does that make you feel more encouraged on the receiving end of some of his shots? Did it that you're close or how do you look at it in the wake surprise you at all the weight of some of his of this? forehands, the spin he puts on the ball?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it was a fairly close CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think the biggest thing for match and, yeah, there are some positives to take from me was when I was returning and if I didn't get the return that. But I think more I just left the court feeling like I in the right place and he was getting on a forehand, I was want to get better and want to, definitely some things to almost drawing dead in the rally. He was getting there, work on. getting set, and then he was pumping me into one corner and then the ball was kind of dropping short. That was Yeah, I mean, it's nice to play him. Yeah, I had a couple huge for me to kind of get the return into his backhand of chances, but, yeah, I need to get better. It was a great side. experience and I want to learn from it, yeah. And I think once I did that and I was in the rally, I think I Q. I was wondering how you felt your game stacked dictated a lot of the rallies when it was like that and I was up against Rafa today. You said you had some using my backhand, and I think he was getting a little bit pretty good moments where you looked on top at uncomfortable. points. Did you feel this was another kind of reminder to you that you are capable of getting up in But, yeah, when he was set on his forehand and, yeah, the rankings and can compete with these very top he's obviously real dangerous and just kind of flies past

104648-1-1063 2021-02-13 13:54:00 GMT Page 1 of 3 you at some points. Q. This is the fourth in a row we haven't got any British players through to the second week. Yeah, it was good. But, yeah, it was a great experience. Can you put that down to anything in particular or do Yeah, it was nice. I wanted to be the one being proactive you think it's just results are so difficult right now in the rallies and being the one kind of moving him because the performances are so difficult because of around, but it was obviously tough to do on his service the current conditions? games. Yeah, he took care of his service games better than I did. CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think there is obviously a lot of good players and we're pretty unfortunate not to Q. Just wondered, after this, there is a lot of have Andy and Kyle over here as well to give ourselves a uncertainty about the schedule going forward. Do chance, so the draw was pretty unfortunate this year. I you have any sort of idea what you'll do from here? played Evo the first round so that immediately took one Because different restrictions in different countries. of us out. I also wondered, as well, does the ban on international flights to Melbourne affect you in terms And, yeah, obviously the level here has been really of heading out of the country? tough, and we got some dubs guys through. Jamie is through. He's playing well. He's in the second week. CAMERON NORRIE: First of all, my dad will be pumped with the shirt you've got on at the moment, the Rangers A lot of positives. Yeah, it's tough. I mean, I did shirt. I like that a lot. everything to try to make the second week, and Rafa was too good today, so sorry I couldn't be in the second Yeah, it's gonna be tough. I'm entered in Singapore and, week, guys. yeah, it's looking like there's a couple of cancellations on the flights. So we'll just wait and see. I have a little bit of Q. I just wanted to ask, you mentioned your time, so just rest and see. backhand hurt Rafa and he also mentioned it as a problematic shot for him, that it was very flat. But the plan is from right now I think I'll try to go to Curious, it's obviously quite a unique shot, being Singapore and play that, but it's hopefully, fingers compact and flat. How did that shot come about? crossed, we will have flights. I think I can get through Sydney and get to Singapore that way. CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was just pretty natural for me, and I never really got too much coaching on it. Q. Are you going to be practicing at the NTC over Yeah, I tend to hit it pretty flat. I think I troubled him a lot. the next couple of months? Secondly, what was I think I could have used my backhand line a bit more. I your observations of the breaches of protocol that was pretty successful when I did that when he was trying described last weekend? to cheat over and use his forehand.

CAMERON NORRIE: Well, I've just seen that in the UK But, yeah, I haven't really been coached too much on now you have to do 10 days hotel quarantine, so my plan that. It's a pretty natural shot, pretty bunty kind of shot was never to go back to the UK. I was going to play and kind of difficult. Comes pretty low through the court, tournaments and up until Miami, up till the schedule they as well. have. So it's tricky, especially for Rafa. I think, yeah, he was No, I will not be going back to NTC any time soon, and I aware of that, and I think he scouted me because he was think it's going to be tough for the British guys to go home already using the slice from the start. I think if he was at all, because as soon as you do that, that ten days' trying to hit over it it would have been tougher, but he quarantine, you're going to lose a lot of momentum and a was pretty spot on with the tactics from the start. lot of your training and physicality. So it's going to be difficult. Q. is noncommittal about the Tokyo Olympics. He doesn't fancy it. Given that you could I didn't actually see what Andy said, but during that perhaps replace as the British No. 2, exhibition Battle of the Brits thing we had just before perhaps moving up in the rankings this year, is that a Christmas, I think they were doing a pretty good job with goal, to make the Olympics, to be in Japan this all the protocols, and I think everything was good in my summer? mind, but I left straight after that, and I think the time period that he was talking about was just after that. CAMERON NORRIE: I mean, for me right now with everything that's going on, it's just to not look too far So I didn't see any of that or anything, so I can't comment ahead. Who knows what's going to happen over these on anything that went on over that time period. next couple months with everything going on. It's going to be an interesting time.

104648-1-1063 2021-02-13 13:54:00 GMT Page 2 of 3 So, I mean, I haven't even, I mean, made up my mind yet or I don't even know how that even -- I'm not sure, yeah, what's gonna happen if Evo doesn't play or if I'm No. 2, or I don't know what kind of certain ranking you have to be or when the deadline is going to be. It's too tough to call, and I don't know what tournaments are going to be on.

Yeah, obviously would be great to play and I'd love to play the Olympics. It would be a phenomenal event, but who knows the circumstances and what's gonna happen or even if it's gonna go ahead. Just wait and see on that one.

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