Cameron Norrie believes his playing style can sometimes make life difficult for Carlos Alcaraz as the two prepare to meet at the Indian Wells Open.
Norrie has been in strong form at the tournament, reaching the quarter-finals without dropping a set. Despite facing the world number one, he appears relaxed about the challenge ahead.
Speaking to Tennis Channel, the Brit joked about suggestions that he could be the favourite.
“I feel like you’re making me feel like the favourite,” Norrie laughed. “He’s completely destroyed me maybe four times in bigger tournaments!”
Still, Norrie explained why he believes his style can cause problems for Alcaraz.
“I always play well when I play him. We always have crazy matches. I think I’m a tricky guy to play against, and I’m there every single point. Sometimes he can struggle with this.”
He admitted that beating Alcaraz will require a near-perfect performance.
“I’m gonna have to fight off multiple break points most games, and I’m gonna have to run a lot. I’m gonna have to be really solid and unpredictable to have a chance with him.”
Norrie also praised the Spaniard’s mindset on court.
“He’s playing well and enjoying his tennis more than ever. He just looks so relaxed in his matches and it’s fun to watch. I’m going to try and enjoy it just as much.”
The British player revealed that a long practice session with Jannik Sinner helped set the tone for his strong run in the desert.
“We had the centre court and it was meant to be two hours, but we were both having an unreal practice,” Norrie said.
“He was like, ‘Come on man, let’s keep going’. I had something to do for the tournament and he had a photoshoot, but he told me to cancel it. We ended up playing about three hours and 20 minutes.”
Norrie believes that the session helped sharpen his game ahead of the tournament.
