Cameron Norrie

Jared · Social player

Cameron Norrie

Jared · Social player

In today's ATP rankings, Cam achieved career highs in both singles (#265) and doubles (#475). He's entered into the Maui Challenger next week (although it looks like he's going to have to qualify because a number of other good players entered recently) and, assuming he returns to TCU, he'll fit in 1-2 pro tourneys during the Spring season. So the rankings might change a little depending on those and how well players ranked around him fare, but he's probably going to be somewhere around the current rankings until at least June. Hopefully, he'll start moving up the ITA rankings soon (having been left out of the most recent college rankings because he took the fall off and only played pro).

Oakland2002 · All-time great

A significant achievement given the relatively few tournaments played and college commitments in 2016.

Where does that place him as a full time pro? A ranking of 186 or less would but him in the top 20 players not yet 22. He still has 8 months in the final year of that cohort. The cut off for those not yet 23 is just outside the top 150 at which point you really are on the cusp of the main tour.

Generally the top 10 (presently 11) not yet 23 automatically qualify for the main draw of slams by rank obviously there is fluctuation depending on the relative strength of each cohort.

Jared · Social player

In addition to the Maui Challenger, which Cam has entered but which, at least at present, it looks like he'll have to go through the qualies, Cameron has also entered the Week 5 Dallas Challenger (qualies will be started on 1/29). On the one hand, he had earlier told Coach Roditi that Maui was the "last" pro tourney he wanted to play in, so he's extended his time off a little, at least. On the other hand, Dallas is only 32 miles from Ft. Worth, and depending on traffic, one can usually drive back to campus within an hour or so, so at least it's in the vicinity of TCU. Classes don't start until the last week of January, so it looks like Cam will fit in 3 Challengers and 1 ATP 250 just in January, despite still being just a "student-athlete." If he goes real deep at Maui, he might have to withdraw at Dallas, but he'll probably fir both into his schedule. I still think it's at least "iffy" as to whether he actually makes it back to TCU. Stay tuned.

indiana · Tennis legend

Thanks for all the updates, Jared.

Yes, logistically the Dallas Challenger looks like a "why not ?" without necessary being too indicative of anything beyond that for Cam.

Will certainly stay tuned

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Well it's a home tournament for the Brits! Even if a long way from Fort Worth............. culturally speaking. Indeed last years Dallas challenger winner is now top 50 and the runner up is not doing too badly either.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Wednesday 11th of January 2017 10:01:18 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

Oakland2002 wrote:
Well it's a home tournament for the Brits! Even if a long way from Fort Worth............. culturally speaking. Indeed last years Dallas challenger winner is now top 50 and the runner up is not doing too badly either.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Wednesday 11th of January 2017 10:01:18 PM

With both last year's finalists presumably on other business up in Ottawa, the mantle can be passed to another Brit.

Jared · Social player

The official TCU tennis site, in an article ostensibly about TCU (and Texas) being selected as co-favorites to win the Big12 title this season by a poll of the coaches, included this sentence "Cameron Norrie, who has played exclusively in professional tournaments since making the NCAA Singles Final Four in May, returns for TCU after he finished with an overall record of 47-16 a year ago, named the Big 12 Championship's Most Outstanding Performer and earning his second straight singles All-America honor." To me, this indicates that he's told Coach Roditi that he's returning and that, to the extent that it's necessary, he's "cleared" playing the Dallas Challenger with him as well.

Cam's choices are essentially to (1) go full-time pro right now; (2) do it in 6 months; or (3) do it in 18 months. Although he could still change his mind, it looks like it's gonna either be (2) or (3). It looks like TCU dodged a bullet - if Cam had gotten high enough in the ATP rankings to qualify for Slams and the ATP World Tour, he probably would have opted for (1). But, although he certainly rose quickly and as high as #265, it just wasn't quite enough.

Jared · Social player

Cam DID return to TCU and played last night against Northwestern, winning in both singles and doubles (although the Frogs lost 2-4). In singles, Norrie beat Strong Kirchheimer 6-4, 6-2. Kirchheimer is ATP #890 and he was on the national USA team that won the Masters'U, the college version of the Davis/Fed Cups in France about 6 weeks ago. I was there and (very) briefly spoke with him. Qualies for the Maui Challenger start tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. (Hawaii time), so I assume he's flying out there today - he'll miss TCU's next match tomorrow at Tulsa and, depending on how deep he goes, possibly two more TCU matches.

Jared · Social player

Cam just beat Or Ram-Harel, an Israeli playing for Tulsa University in straight sets, as TCU swept Tulsa 4-0, to bounce back from the disappointing loss to Northwestern. Ram-Harel has a current ATP ranking of #1858, but a career high of #838 and is Tulsa's top player. He's now either going to Maui, prepping for the Dallas Challenger or getting ready for TCU's next match on 1/29. Like I know his schedule...

indiana · Tennis legend

Cam has withdrawn from the Dallas Challenger, no doubt due to the info The Optimist gave us in the Davis Cup thread - that he has been added to the DC squad as a hitting partner. I guess potential singles cover as well, prior to the team selection, for Kyle and Evo if Andy doesn't play.

-- Edited by indiana on Saturday 28th of January 2017 02:46:28 AM

Vandenburg · Futures level

indiana wrote:
Cam has withdrawn from the Dallas Challenger, no doubt due to the info The Optimist gave us in the Davis Cup thread - that he has been added to the DC squad as a hitting partner. I guess potential singles cover as well, prior to the team selection, for Kyle and Evo if Andy doesn't play.

-- Edited by indiana on Saturday 28th of January 2017 02:46:28 AM

A bit of a silly move. It is good to bring in new kids so they learn about the DC and get the to meet the team etc, I agree, but cam is a different kettle of fish. He needs to be playing Dallas this week as he may have a limited season points wise due to college.

KyleM · Lower Club Player

Vandenburg wrote:
indiana wrote:
Cam has withdrawn from the Dallas Challenger, no doubt due to the info The Optimist gave us in the Davis Cup thread - that he has been added to the DC squad as a hitting partner. I guess potential singles cover as well, prior to the team selection, for Kyle and Evo if Andy doesn't play.

-- Edited by indiana on Saturday 28th of January 2017 02:46:28 AM

A bit of a silly move. It is good to bring in new kids so they learn about the DC and get the to meet the team etc, I agree, but cam is a different kettle of fish. He needs to be playing Dallas this week as he may have a limited season points wise due to college.

I see where you are coming from but he doesn't have many (if any) points to defend until the summer and in theory it should be a good week for him to learn off Leon and other players for the week.

indiana · Tennis legend

Cam may be nominally a hitting partner, but if Andy isn't playing he also looks at the moment the best back-up available if anything were to happen to Kyle or Evo.

davidn · Junior player

The benefits of rubbing shoulders with the creme de la creme of GB tennis plus experiencing the cauldron of an away DC fixture

outweighs any potential loss of points. Plus in the event of a quick win perhaps an opportunity to play a dead rubber.

Even without Raonic this won't be easy even if on paper we should win