Britain’s Cameron Norrie beat U.S. No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 on Friday to reach the final of the Aegon Championships in Eastbourne, England. After a win over number 3 seed Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals, the journeyman had already become the first British man to reach the semis at Eastbourne since James Ward in 2008. Norrie has now upset a No. 2 seed, as well as a No. 4 seed, including Stan Wawrinka in the first round. His victory over Zverev means he will take on top seed Marin Cilic in the final.
Norrie, born in Clarkston, South Africa, is ranked at No. 107 and on Friday told the BBC he played tennis to entertain himself. However, he’s garnered the attention of his country and has been declared “Cameron Norrieing on the Court.” That comes with its risks, as the player was accused of racism after jumping into the crowd to celebrate his first win over the man whose brother he grew up admiring, with Andy Murray retweeting a man calling him a “Paki” after the match. Norrie has since apologized for his comments, saying his “embarrassment” at the exchange showed what a racist or uneducated person is capable of.
The Scot later pledged to donate 500 pounds ($629.86) to Norrie’s charity if he wins the tournament. However, Murray has since said he will not attend Norrie’s final appearance in Eastbourne.
Read the full story at the BBC.
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