Norrie defeats Johnson to progress into the fourth round at Wimbledon

(Tennis news) Britain’s number 1 Cameron Norrie defeated Steve Johnson 6-4 6-1 6-0 at the Centre Court. The 26 year old was in sublime form and his victory meant that it will be the first time in five years that a British man will be in the fourth round of Wimbledon. He will take on 30th seed Tommy Paul in the next match after the American defeated Jiri Vesley 6-3 6-2 6-2. 

In the on-court interview after the match, Cameron Norrie said “I couldn't be happier, especially with all of my friends and family watching. I enjoyed the match today and it was a little less stressful for my squad! I'm enjoying playing at this level, enjoying the process of it all and enjoying improving. My team and I have all got the same goals and it's been a lot of fun. I want to keep going and keep on ticking more boxes." 

It was a tight first set between Norrie and Johnson, with the 26 year old narrowly edging out his opponent with a backhand to make it 6-4. The British tennis player made a few uncharacteristic unforced errors but settled down after winning the first set, displaying a relentless performance in the second set. Steve Johnson struggled to match Norrie's intensity and athleticism, eventually resulting in the match ending in under two hours. “I'm as ready as I can be," Norrie added about playing in the fourth round. "I'm training as hard as I can. I'm moving better, feeling a lot better on the court and as I say, I'm as ready as I can be."

In other results, Novak Djokovic progressed to the fourth round after defeating fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0 6-3 6-4. It was Djokovic’s 35th straight win at the Centre Court and has now reached Wimbledon’s Round of 16 for the 13th time in his career. However, what lies ahead is a tricky fixture against Dutch wildcard Tim van Rijthoven who the Serbian has never faced in his career. Van Rijthoven has won eight consecutive matches on the grass surface, his latest being a 6-4 6-3 6-4 third-round victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili. 

Speaking ahead of his match against Djokovic, Van Rijthoven said “Before the tournament started, it was a dream for me to play him [Djokovic], basically. So, to be able to have that chance and to maybe even play on Centre Court or Court One is beautiful and magical. I go into every match thinking I can win the match. Also against Djokovic, I'll go into that match thinking I can win that match." 

Carlos Alcaraz also progressed to the fourth round after defeating Oscar Otte 6-3 6-1 6-2 in just one hour and 38-minutes. Despite it only being Alcaraz’s third tournament on the grass surface, the 19 year old looked exceptionally comfortable and will now set his sights on Jannik Sinner, who the Spaniard will face in the next round. Alcaraz said “This was the best match on grass that I played so I'm enjoying every time I play on these amazing courts. It's tough to play on grass but Wimbledon gives you a special energy. I'm trying to get better every match and every day." 

Also read: Sania and Pavic advance to second round of Wimbledon mixed doubles

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