{"id":4299,"date":"2017-08-29T12:06:30","date_gmt":"2017-08-29T16:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=4299"},"modified":"2017-08-29T12:06:30","modified_gmt":"2017-08-29T16:06:30","slug":"hope-britains-men-edmund-norrie-advance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2017\/08\/29\/hope-britains-men-edmund-norrie-advance\/","title":{"rendered":"Hope for Britain\u2019s Men as Edmund and Norrie Advance"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Andy Murray forced to withdraw<\/a> from this year\u2019s US Open<\/a> with a hip injury, British tennis fans were expecting a foretelling of the post-Murray apocalypse, with plummeting interest and viewing figures as the country waits another 77 years for a Grand Slam champion. But while Konta capitulated and Watson walked<\/a>, Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie kept British hopes alive on Monday as they eased into the second round.<\/p>\n

Coke Behind Edmund Success<\/h2>\n

Flushing Meadows is becoming quite the stomping ground for Edmund. The 22-year-old claimed the finest win of his career over Richard Gasquet on his way to the fourth round last year, and his 2017 campaign has started in a similar vein, dispatching 32nd<\/sup> seed and recent Montreal semifinalist Robin Haase 6-3 7-5 6-3 in under two hours.<\/p>\n

It was a swift, clinical display, the likes of which Murray would have been proud of. Edmund won the first set in just 35 minutes and suffered only a slight hiccup in the second, dropping serve at 5-4 before swiftly taking the next two games. Indeed, in contrast to his senior compatriot, the return has often been a glaring weakness in the Johannesburg-born Edmund\u2019s game, and yet he was dominant on Haase\u2019s serve, breaking five times.<\/p>\n

But a packed hard court swing in the States may have taken its toll. Having reached the semifinals of the Winston-Salem Open as a qualifier last week, the World #42\u2019s victory over Haase was his eighth match in nine days. \u201cThe challenge today was to keep the intensity high because I felt pretty tired,\u201d Edmund admitted, and he was forced to take remedial measures, McEnroe-style. \u201cI had a Coke, just to put some sugar in my body. I needed it to get myself going, and it worked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite fatigue, Edmund\u2019s heavy topspin forehand stifled the offensive-minded Haase, particularly punishing the Dutchman\u2019s second serve, on which the Brit won 64% of points. Certainly reason to be cheerful then. \u201cAny time you can get to a Grand Slam and get through day one in straights is definitely a win, but definitely a great win both tennis-wise, emotionally, everything put together,” he said.<\/p>\n

However, as the highest-ranked British male player in the tournament, with Murray\u2019s injury and Evans\u2019 impending ban, there are question marks over whether Edmund has the maturity or the game to meet high expectations going forward. We might cast our mind back to the young Brit\u2019s press conference at Wimbledon after his first appearance on Centre Court, a straight-sets defeat to Gael Monfils. \u201cI\u2019m only 22 years old, I don\u2019t know all the answers,\u201d he mumbled dolefully.<\/p>\n

The Frenchman exposed the shortcomings of his game that day, and he knew it. In the face of Monfils\u2019 unorthodox variation, Edmund looked one-dimensional, a player with a big forehand but little guile.<\/p>\n

The US Open hard courts are less likely to show up this vulnerability, but his next round will certainly be a stern examination of his mental fortitude, as he faces home favourite Steve Johnson.<\/p>\n

TCU\u2019s Norrie Continues to Flourish<\/h2>\n

Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie defeated #640-ranked Dmitry Tursunov 7-6(7) 6-1 after the Russian retired with a knee injury.<\/p>\n

While it was his veteran opponent\u2019s 84th<\/sup> Grand Slam match, his slam debut made at Flushing Meadows 14 years ago, it was only Norrie\u2019s second after losing to Tsonga in the first round of Wimbledon in July. There were certainly no signs of the 22-year-old being cowed by Tursunov\u2019s pedigree, though, and in the opening set he doggedly held serve to take it to a tiebreak.<\/p>\n

It proved to be a closely-fought affair, and Norrie displayed remarkable composure, saving a set point before clinching the tiebreak 9-7.<\/p>\n

As his opponent rued what could have been and began to struggle with a knee injury, Norrie decisively took control, taking six games on the spin after dropping serve in the opening game of the second set. \u201cI don\u2019t think he wanted to complete the second set,\u201d Norrie remarked. \u201cHis knee was bothering him as well. Looking back this will be great, but it\u2019s kind of disappointing not winning the last point and him retiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite being denied the moment of euphoria of a first Grand Slam victory, Norrie was still celebratory. \u201cI might have a couple of brewskies later tonight and enjoy it,\u201d the 22-year-old said, before taking on more New Zealand slang with his regular phrase: \u201cI\u2019m stoked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such Kiwi jargon belies the close ties Norrie has with America. After three years\u2019 training at the National Tennis Centre in London, Norrie left to major in Sociology at Texas Christian University. It would prove to be integral to his development, giving him that elusive quality in sport: perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t used to playing so much tennis,\u201d he told The Independent<\/a><\/em>. \u201cIt was good but I just wasn\u2019t used to it. The LTA gave me a lot of help and a lot of coaching, and it was just too much for me to take on board. Everything was about tennis and I wasn\u2019t used to that. That was one of my reasons why I went to college, to have a more balanced lifestyle and a normal life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just burnt out from tennis a bit after the juniors and I felt like I wanted to do something else. College helped me learn to love the game again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Norrie\u2019s tennis flourished, and by the end of his three years in April, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association had placed him #1 in the Division I Men\u2019s National Singles Rankings after being the only player to maintain a 100% winning record in Big 12 matches. Nevertheless, his move from college tennis to the top of the men\u2019s game in a matter of months has been truly remarkable \u2013 success on the American Challenger circuit<\/a>, taking the title in Binghamton, before qualifying for New York without dropping a set.<\/p>\n

Norrie\u2019s self-belief was refreshingly clear in his take on his next opponent, world #19 Pablo Carreno-Busta. \u201cHe [Carreno Busta] is going to give me some rhythm, he\u2019s not going to serve me off the court, it\u2019s going to be nice, I can play my own game and feel comfortable,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cObviously he\u2019s a great player and it\u2019s going to be really tough but I\u2019m looking forward to the challenge.\u201d With Norrie\u2019s terrific variation, finesse and fleetness of foot to match, there is undoubtedly reason to be confident.<\/p>\n

The BBC have been quick to assert Norrie\u2019s Scottish heritage<\/a>, but having been born in Johannesburg like Edmund, raised in New Zealand, and developed into a professional tennis player in the US, there will inevitably be the same cynicism that plagued Konta\u2019s Wimbledon run<\/a>. Hopefully it will not overshadow the optimism that Britons should be feeling around their upcoming male stars.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>