The 28-year-old spoke about needing a break after a packed calendar where he dealt with a knee injury and Britain’s no. 1 player Cameron Norrie was typically bullish when speaking to media about facing Novak Djokovic during tomorrow’s Davis Cup quarterfinals against Serbia, after Jack Draper looks to give team GB a lead during the tie’s first of two singles matchups against Laslo Djere…
Norrie to play free vs. ATP Finals champ Djokovic
- Andy Murray (shoulder), Dan Evans (calf) both sidelined from Davis Cup play this week with respective injuries, though team GB captain Leon Smith insists they’ve still got a “really good team,” without the pair
- Norrie on facing Djokovic in the tie’s second rubber tomorrow from 3pm BST: “It’s been another incredible year for Djokovic, but this is a great competition to play him. There’s a lot of Brits here, I’m excited for that and tactically gotta play within myself – take it to him, got nothing to lose, play free and go out executing, defend when I need to and finish points too.”
- Jack Draper on reaching the Sofia final and his mindset: “It was a tough week but good coming off a Challenger [title in Bergamo], a great end to the year staying on the court. I feel incredibly confident in my game, mind and body… pressure is a privilege, I want to be a top player and you’ve got to deal with different expectations – I’ll do everything I can to get us a point.”
- GB captain Leon Smith on their notable absences: “We knew it’d be bad for Dan after seeing [the injury vs. Frances Tiafoe in Vienna] a few weeks ago, Andy was desperate to come. When he plays and his presence, how he talks to the guys and makes them feel… just gotta focus on his rehab now, get ready for Australia and he can help us remotely as a sounding board.”
Davis Cup Quarterfinals: Great Britain vs. Serbia – live on BBC iPlayer from 3pm
1: Jack Draper vs. Miomir Kecmanovic
2: Cameron Norrie vs. Novak Djokovic
3: Doubles – Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski vs. Djokovic, Kecmanovic/ Dusan Lajovic
You can excuse team GB and the British media for taking Novak Djokovic’s complimentary comments with a strong helping of salt, given his experience and knowhow especially when it comes to team tennis representing Serbia.
Nonetheless, Great Britain have a good opportunity to make the semis and beyond in Malaga – predicated on their depth across singles and doubles competition.
A fully-fit Cameron Norrie is a nuisance for any opponent to play against, not least the sport’s world number one who hasn’t faced left-handed opposition since besting Ben Shelton (world no. 17) en route to his fourth US Open title in September.
Since losing 6-2, 6-4 to Alexander Zverev in the last-16 of the Vienna tournament (ATP 500) on October 25, Norrie subsequently withdrew from the Paris Masters (ATP 1000) and instead said he would focus on readying himself for Davis Cup play.
Five days after that record-extending triumph at Flushing Meadows, his straight-sets win in humid Valencia conditions over Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (6-3, 6-4) contributed to why the host nation will be watching at home this week.
Injuries have hampered Jack Draper’s steady progress, especially over the last two years, but the 21-year-old is right to be confident in his abilities as his end-of-season form suggests 2024 can be an excellent year for him, if he can have some injury luck.
“Andy’s one of the greatest tennis players there is, a huge character on and off-the-court, his presence is missed. Without Dan and Andy we wouldn’t be here, still got a lot of depth – tough without them – but can still do damage.”
World no. 33 Laslo Djere is no easy touch and despite his inconsistent results on tour since reaching the Hamburg final on July 30, *that* showing – winning the first two sets – against compatriot Djokovic stateside reiterates how good he can be.
Miomir Kecmanovic (#54) is four years younger but is no slouch either, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares alongside Djokovic if a doubles rubber is needed to separate the two sides. That ultimately is where Britain boasts the clear advantage.
Joe Salisbury (#6) and Neal Skupski (#9) are both former world no. 1 players in the discipline with different partners, Salisbury earning an impressive trio of consecutive US Open titles alongside America’s Rajeev Ram while Skupski clinched his first Major at Wimbledon this past summer alongside now-former partner Wesley Koolhof.
As former player-turned-tournament director Feliciano Lopez mused on BBC’s radio coverage earlier tonight, this is a matchup with multiple possibilities in either direction and that’s precisely the sort of competition you want to watch.
We’ll wait and see how it all shakes out, with the victor set to play Italy or the Netherlands in the second semi-final. Finland vs. Australia is sealed, after their dramatic victories over Canada and Czech Republic respectively.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via BBC Sounds
Mo and Sports 