Cameron Norrie

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

RE: Cameron Norrie

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I think she only stayed in college for five months, and isn't now, at least that's how I read it.

But, yes, it's a huge amount of money and I realise they are targeting the absolute elite but firstly (as per the Sumter thread) I dispute that Jade Lewis is absolute elite (they're in for a disappointment, in my view) and secondly, yes, I agree - it was too late to talk to Cam when his parents were already majorly disillusioned with the NZ approach, what's the point? And given the fact the other girl 'defected', they've obviously got some problems in that area.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Well good luck to her but Jade to be fair is a bit of a punt top 20 as a Freshman at LSU not bad pretty similar to Cams first year but I know nothing about the LSU ladies coaching set up, apart from they had the best recruiting class in the country last year. Jade was the no7 best recruit in the US and went to High school in South Carolina.

Despite playing well at No 1 (10-7) in the best power conference my gut feeling would have been to let her play another year at LSU, throw in some local 25Ks and WC for Auckland, if she is then top 5 as a sophmore go for it. Regardless I hope it goes well it would be great if she follows in Uncle Chriss footsteps!

indiana · Tennis legend

Interesting, and that seems a heck of a lot of eggs in the Jade Lewis basket.

Re Cam, yes looks far too late when he was by then promised so much by GB where he went off to apparently be largely disillusioned. Maybe lucky for us he doesn't have US family links. Certainly seems from what I have read elsewhere that he refound his love for the game through college there and has now set down his pro base in the US, I believe close to his old college with still maybe links there. Certainly has worked out very well for him with the future looking very good.

Michael D · All-time great

Steven has posted this on twitter but it's a good interview by Mike C with Cameron after the Stockton win. He says his shoulder is feeling sore here. Interesting too, that at this point it's clear that his TCU fan base is much more immediate for him than his more remote Brit fan base... Also that for his pre-season preparations for next year he is going to Buenos Aires... Guessing that his coach, Facundo Lugones, may come from there. Noteworthy too that his aims are rather to stay in the moment rather than to focus on particular targets. And very interesting on his baseline drills and how this has helped his attacking game...

www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/stockton-challenger-2017-norrie

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

Michael D wrote:
Steven has posted this on twitter but it's a good interview by Mike C with Cameron after the Stockton win. He says his shoulder is feeling sore here. Interesting too, that at this point it's clear that his TCU fan base is much more immediate for him than his more remote Brit fan base... Also that for his pre-season preparations for next year he is going to Buenos Aires... Guessing that his coach, Facundo Lugones, may come from there. Noteworthy too that his aims are rather to stay in the moment rather than to focus on particular targets. And very interesting on his baseline drills and how this has helped his attacking game...

www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/stockton-challenger-2017-norrie

Nice info and summary. But left feeling with nothing left to gain by clicking that link. I mean, it does mean spending one whole click. I think I'll hold it in reserve for another promising looking link on this forum in the future. Something eminently clickworthy, with very high clickability. Anyway, don't mind me. I'm just a man saving a click.

It's understandable Cam feels the link to TCU more strngly. College players on the pro tour often make references on Twitter to their College affiliation, years after their graduation. It's definitely tangible that for some, it feels like their family and identity.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

To be honest, Cam has only actually lived (as in being based) in the UK for a few months, from what I've seen. That short time that he was at the NTC. (Born in South Africa, grew up in NZ.....)

It's unlikely he'd feel much allegiance to the UK, however much he enjoys playing for the UK, or is grateful to the LTA, or loves his grandparents, or whatever.

He's less British in many ways that Bedene.

And that's not a criticism - I'm of the persuasion that anybody with a choice who chooses to fly the British flag (for whatever reason) is British: the world is a smaller place now and better for it.

But I can't see GB being his visit of choice....

Spectator · All-time great

But I think there's something to be learned - though not sure what it is. I strongly get the sense that a fair few of the other players feel happier in the US (and not just the ones who were at university there). I don't know whether that goes back to the sense that the universities and USTA seem to work on establishing a sense of camaraderie and genuine team support, whereas the LTA, through its rather arbitrary funding policies, often seemed to be undermining that ... or whether it's due to other factors. But if I were the LTA, I might just take note.

EddietheEagle · County player

I'd go further than that. He's made the point himself that he was discouraged by his experience under the LTA and positively credits his U.S. college with helping to revitalise his game.

There's no chance of the LTA building strong camaraderie and solidarity among players. Those values don't exist in the organisation: it's known more for its backbiting and team tennis in the UK generally is not taken seriously, unless perhaps it's county stuff which is irrelevant to someone of Norrie's standing.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, absolutely. And it is to his credit, I feel, that at a pretty young age, (17? 18?), he realised that the NTC was completely wrong for him (and everyone?) and found an alternative, better solution - that takes some lucidity.

It is similar, in many ways, I feel, to the experience of Josh Ward-Hibbert. At about the same age, and being at Soto, he played full of verve, and spring, and the joy of playing - it was lovely. And then a year later, after being now at NTC for 9 months or so, he played like he had a lead weight on his shoulders - he looked miserable and tense. I'm glad that he, too, has found a successful different path, even if not a tennis one.

Good luck to Cam. A proper club support base is so important to a developing player. If Texas is it, then go Texas !

Oakland2002 · All-time great

It just goes to show that there isn't a one size fits all way of becoming a touring pro, different players should be encouraged to explore the way that suits them best and if something is making them miserable have the where with all to change it. That Cam has had such success must be a great reward not only for him but also his family and the coaches at TCU. Having been there for three years why wouldn't he want to base himself close to a place and the people that has been part of such a positive experience.

Were it not for Dan's naive interpretation of the instruction to hit the lines, the LTA via a combination of strategies would be on the verge of having 5 top 100 players, a tennager with top 100 potential and a clutch of 15/16 year olds on top the verge of starting their transition. Ok so it hasn't necessarily been plain sailing with the LTA for any of those players (perhaps Kyle) but elite sport is a tough business and it is more about giving the players an opportunity to understand what they need to do as individuals to figure it out and win. Liam is still very much in the game and indeed remarkably Oli not completely out.

I would question whether everything in the USTA is quite as perfect as suggested and although they are doing well on the ladies side, as yet their next gen players are not ripping up the men's top 100 although hopefully in the not to distant future one of the players from their highly touted college system just might.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Tuesday 10th of October 2017 02:03:17 PM

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Yes it's interesting as Oakland says about the American men still not pushing on to the ATP level. The college route seems to provide a lot of players with a steady challenger level game if you look at the amount of 50-150 ranked American men, but the next step seems tough at the moment. It will be interesting to see how high Cam goes next year, top 70 should be easy enough by Wimbledon, but there is always the fear he might plateau like Kyle has.

Spectator · All-time great

The US currently has the world numbers 16, 17, 20, 45, 46, 56, 57, 87, 91, 92 and 98. That's eleven players in the top 100, if not necessarily for the most part in the top echelons thereof. Moreover, of those, four are 21 or under. That feels like a system that's doing quite well. What they currently lack is a star - but that's the one thing that a system can't provide.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

USA population 323 million with about 9 million (2.7%) playing at least once a month and 5.5(1.7%) million playing Tennis more than 21 times a year. Plus 3.5K Tennis scholarships per year

UK population 65 million, 1.5 million playing once a month (2.3%) and 0.55 million (0.8%) avid tennis players playing once a week.

Sticking to the mens side

The USAs 11 players equates to 1 per 29 million (No top 10)

The UKs present 3 players brings us in at 1 per 22. If Cam steps up 1 per 16.5 million and if only Dan had stuck to hitting the lines as opposed to sniffing them at 5 players in the top 100 that would be 1 per 13 million and of course we have a star! (for at least a bit longer).

There are of course other countries with smaller populations that do better but as a direct comparison one would have to ask which system is broken?

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Tuesday 10th of October 2017 07:09:12 PM

EddietheEagle · County player

Those figures are meaningless, Oakland, and to use them as a guide to tell whether a "system" is "broken" or not, laughable almost.

More realistically, we have a rich federation that does nothing other than prop up the odd import.