Cameron Norrie fights from behind to beat Goffin in five sets to set up Wimbledon semi-final against Djokovic

NOW Cameron Norrie really is a true British tennis hero – because he’s put the nation through the wringer in traditionally agonising fashion. 

Like Andy Murray or Tim Henman in their pomp, Norrie won a nerve-shredding, topsy-turvy Wimbledon marathon against David Goffin to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final, against Novak Djokovic on Friday. 

The match lasted three-and-a-half hours, five sets, and contained two senior Cabinet resignations in the middle of it, as Norrie twice clawed his way back from a set-down to clinch the most significant win of his life, with a 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 scoreline. 

Norrie, 26, said: “I’m so happy to get through. It wasn’t going my way, I wasn’t feeling good, David was playing really good but thanks to the crowd, I managed to stay as patient as I could. It was all just adrenaline.

“Winning a match like this gives me flashbacks to all the hard work and all the sacrifices I’ve had to make – it has definitely paid off.

“It only gets tougher now – I’m going to enjoy the semi-final.”

Leftie Norrie is seeded ninth but had never previously reached the fourth round of a Major, or been properly lauded by his adopted nation until this Wimbledon. 

Born in South Africa to a Scottish father and Welsh mother, raised in New Zealand and educated in the United States, Norrie is a citizen of the world who has taken time to be recognised and accepted here. 

But the future King and Queen of England, William and Kate, even slipped away from the Royal Box on Centre Court to watch him triumph on Court One – with Norrie becoming only the fourth British men to reach a Wimbledon singles semi-final in the open era.  

The Duchess of Cambridge arrived on Court One, alongside Tim Henman, during the third set, having witnessed Djokovic’s comeback victory over Jannik Sinner – and her husband arrived in the fourth just as Norrie was turning the match around. 

There were cries of ‘Norrie, Norrie, Norrie, Oi! Oi! Oi!’ ringing around Court One as Norrie – who played loose and wild for much of the first three sets – was lifted by the home support. 

Belgian Goffin, best remembered by British tennis fans as the man Andy Murray defeated to clinch the Davis Cup in 2015, seized the first break point in the sixth game, as Norrie was wide with a cross-court forehand. 

And there were far too many loose shots from nervy Nozza as he slipped to a set and a break down.  

But after being broken to love for 3-4, Norrie suddenly got his eye and immediately roared back on to level terms.

The first major ‘Oi! Oi! Oi!’ chants began just before Norrie forced to break points to level the match – taking the first as Goffin netted a forehand. 

That felt like a significant momentum shift but it proved to be nothing of the sort as Norrie one just a single point in his first two service games of the third set.

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And while Norrie powered a forehand down the line to peg back Goffin, the Belgian broke again and took the third comfortably.   

But as William arrived on Court One to join his missus, Norrie began to purr in the fourth set. 

He forced a break point in the sixth game, then in an epic eighth, he pounced. 

After sending a return agonisingly long on a Goffin second serve to waste his first opportunity, Norrie made a successful Hawkeye challenge to stay in the game. 

That roused the crowd, and seemed to fluster Goffin, who hit a forehand long. 

When Norrie played a cute cross-court winner at the net to force another break-point, Goffin netted a forehand and Norrie broke, before he took the third of three set points with a thumping serve down the middle.  

The fifth was tight and nervy until, at 5-5, Norrie forced three break points and seized the first of them to find himself serving for the match. 

Then Norrie nailed an ace to bring up match point, which Goffin saved with a passing shot, but he grabbed his second opportunity when Goffin netted – and Court One rose to salute an authentic new British hero.