Cameron Norrie needs to “take risks” when he faces the “ultimate challenge” of playing Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals, says Tim Henman.
Briton Norrie, the ninth seed, faces defending champion Djokovic on Centre Court not before 14:30 BST on Friday.
The 26-year-old had never been beyond the third round of a Grand Slam until this year’s tournament.
“It’s a two-horse race. Djokovic is the heavy favourite but Cam’s always got a chance,” Henman told BBC Sport.
“We’ve seen these upsets in the past and, fingers crossed, Cam can provide one of the biggest upsets.”
The winner will face Nick Kyrgios in the final on Sunday after Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament because of his abdominal injury.
‘Huge opportunity’ for Norrie
Norrie reached the top 10 in the world in April having won two ATP Tour titles this year, while top seed Djokovic is seeking his fourth Wimbledon title in a row and seventh overall.
BBC commentator Henman, a four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had Norrie on the team when he was Great Britain captain for the 2020 ATP Cup in Sydney.
At the time, Norrie was ranked 52 in the world and had yet to win an ATP Tour title. He’s won four since the start of 2021, including the prestigious Indian Wells tournament in October.
Looking back to the ATP Cup, Henman said: “He was progressing in the right direction, a great work ethic. But if you had said to me then that he’s going to win multiple times on tour, win a Masters 1,000, and then he’s going to be in the semis of Wimbledon, I wouldn’t have necessarily believed you.
“I think that is testament to his work ethic, how much his game has improved. Not only has his game improved but his overall belief. Now he’s been in the top 10, this has been another huge milestone having not been past the third round of a Slam. It’s a huge opportunity for him.”
Former world number four Henman says that Norrie is “such a great role model for the younger players” because of how he’s worked to make the most of his talent.
“Success is about maximising your potential,” he said. “When you look at what Cam’s doing there is no doubt he really is maximising his potential.”
Both Norrie and Djokovic had to come through five-set matches in their quarter-finals, with the Briton outlasting David Goffin and the Serb coming back from two sets down against Jannik Sinner.
Henman believes Norrie’s “awkward” game and “relentless”…
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