Cameron Norrie stated that he will treat Novak Djokovic like any other player when he captains the Great Britain team in their match against Serbia on Thursday at the Davis Cup Finals. The winning team will secure a spot in the semi-finals.
“I will be my authentic self and give it my all when I face him,” stated Norrie, the top-ranked player from Britain. “It’s an incredible honor to compete against him, especially in the Davis Cup. I have already faced him in a few significant matches.”
“I am eagerly anticipating the big challenge of facing Serbia. We are all prepared to take on this match. I am thrilled to get out on the court and give my all. At the end of the day, he is just another player and I will give my best effort to chase down every shot.”
After barely making it through the group stages in Manchester with a complete team, Great Britain has faced major setbacks before the quarter-final round in Málaga. Singles players Dan Evans and Andy Murray, ranked second and third in Britain, have both been disqualified from the competition.
A decade ago, not having a single top 100 British player would have guaranteed defeat. However, the current depth of the team is evident as they still have a strong team with great potential. Joe Salisbury, the recent US Open and ATP Finals doubles champion, has taken the place of Murray and Evans and will likely team up with Wimbledon doubles champion Neal Skupski. Liam Broady, who recently achieved a top 100 ranking for the first time, rounds out the team.
According to Leon Smith, the captain of Great Britain, a positive aspect of the situation is that everyone is aware of their position. There is no uncertainty about who will play and no need to wait for a decision or be notified by the captain. This lack of ambiguity could benefit our team.
Norrie is aiming for his best-ever victory against the current top-ranked player, however it is more probable that the success of the tie will be determined by the performance of each team’s second-ranked player. All eyes will be on Jack Draper, who will face pressure to secure a singles win. The 21-year-old has been in impressive form, claiming victory at an ATP Challenger event and making it to his first ATP final in consecutive weeks.
Serbia have a wealth of talented top-60 singles players to choose from, with Laslo Djere, Dusan Lajovic and Miomir Kecmanovic all former top-30 players. The No 33 Djere played a significant role in Serbia qualifying for the quarter-finals and the extremely athletic 28-year-old seems to be the likely opponent for Draper. Serbia would clearly prefer to win both singles rubbers against lower-ranked opponents rather than fight through a decisive doubles rubber.
Djokovic stated that his team does not have any players who specialize in doubles. They primarily focus on singles, but are prepared to pair up with different combinations in doubles if needed and give their best effort.
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Following his victory over Jannik Sinner in straight sets to secure a record-breaking seventh title at the ATP Finals, Djokovic has experienced a rapid change of pace. Rather than basking in the success of his individual season, less than 24 hours later he was already on a flight to this location, preparing for the final event of the year.
Earlier this season, I expressed my strong desire to achieve success in the Davis Cup, and that goal still remains a top priority for me. I hope to make a valuable contribution towards a victory.
Regardless, this will be a momentous event. Out of the four quarter-finals, Serbia-Great Britain is anticipated to have the highest turnout. On Thursday, up to 5,000 British supporters are projected to be in the venue, including those who reside in or near Málaga and those coming from other countries. A significant number of Serbian fans are also expected to attend the sold-out 9,000-seat Palacio de los Deportes.
Source: theguardian.com
