Cameron Norrie’s Australian Open exit ends British singles hopes in Melbourne – MATTHEW LAMBWELL asks why the nation’s stars cannot ship on the largest levels in tennis
No shame for Cam Norrie in losing to No3 seed Alexander Zverev, but it felt appropriate that the British challenge at this Australian Open ended in a smattering of seagull droppings.
It was as Norrie served to stay in the third set that the aerial bombardment occurred. Play had to pause while it was cleaned up by the ballkids – what a glamorous job that is at times – then Zverev mucked in and mopped up.
And then he mopped up Norrie, cruising the fourth set to win 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. In the early stages it was an extremely high-quality match between two of the most consistent players on tour, and when the first two sets were split it seemed like we could get a repeat of the epic between these two here in 2023, which Zverev won in a final-set tiebreak.
But – coincidentally, one assumes – the avian intervention marked a switch in momentum as a close match became a rout and Zverev extended his unbeaten record against Norrie to 7-0.
The cries of the seagulls could still be heard as the 28-year-old German completed the win. It may as well have been the screeching of vultures, circling as they waited to pick the carcass of another failed British Grand Slam campaign.
Five singles players made the main draw on ranking with a sixth, Arthur Fery, coming through qualifying, and those numbers speak to a relatively healthy outlook.
Cameron Norrie’s exit from the Australian Open marked the end of British singles hopes
He lost in four sets to No 3 seed Alexander Zverev in the third round in Lembourne
It has been another disappointing year; Emma Raducanu crashed out in the second round
But what is so frustrating is that, for all the fine tennis from our players across the year, they are too rarely able to deliver on the biggest stages.
Three of those six representatives lost their opener and Emma Raducanu collapsed from a strong position in a very winnable second round.
The only player to have scored anything like an upset was debutant Fery, taking out No20 seed Flavio Cobolli – and even then the Italian had a dicky tummy.
The absent friend, of course, is British No1 Jack Draper, who is undergoing the final stages of rehab for a bone bruising injury in his right arm. And if there is one collective objective for the British set it is to place a greater focus on peaking physically for the Slams.
Draper was nursing hip trouble this time last year, and the bone bruising affected him to a greater or lesser extent at all three remaining majors. Raducanu’s back was sore after a spasm in Australia last year, this time a foot injury was still ‘not 100 per cent’. Francesca Jones retired after a slip in her first round match this week, but it was clearly a factor that she came in carrying an existing groin injury.
Norrie was asked about the state of British tennis and, glass-half-full man that he is, he struck a positive note. ‘I think there’s so much to come,’ said the 29-year-old. ‘There are so many players, younger players especially, coming through. It was unfortunate with some injuries this year.
‘We need to be patient, and I don’t see why there can’t be at least five, six, seven guys in the top 100.
‘It will help when Jack is back healthy, and I have no doubt he is going to come back firing. We have to be patient but for sure, it’s coming.’
Debutant Arthur Fery did well to beat No 2 seed Flavio Cobolli in straight sets in the first round, but then lost in three sets to Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Jack Draper has not played a tour-level match since the first round of the US Open in August, after which he dropped out injured
And so, once Norrie’s flight takes off, the only British singles player left in Melbourne will be Katie Boulter – here to support her fiancee Alex de Minaur.
The Aussie No1 had an impressive win over Frances Tiafoe, following which there was some desperately weak banter with on-court interviewer Jim Courier about the wedding planning, with Boulter laughing away in the stands.
No slight on Boulter – it is quite right she is cheering on her other half in his home Slam – but it feels symbolic that, as the business end of this Grand Slam singles begins, British tennis will be looking on from the sidelines.
On the other end of the spectrum this year has been the USA which, especially on the women’s side, appears to be returning to superpower status. They had seven in the third round – the most for any nation since 2015 – and on Friday Coco Gauff beat her countrywoman Hailey Baptiste in three sets to reach the last 16. Joining her there is 18-year-old phenom Iva Jovic, who scored the biggest win of what promises to be a brilliant career by taking out No7 seed Jasmine Paolini.
