Cameron Norrie buoyed by ‘funny’ football-style chants during Wimbledon win

Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie has said he felt buoyed by “funny” football-style chants from fans during his Centre Court victory.

The 26-year-old British number one beat America’s Steve Johnson in three straight sets on day five of Wimbledon.

Spectators screamed, cried, and chanted “Norrie, Norrie Norrie, oi, oi, oi” towards the end of the game.

Speaking about the chants after the match, Norrie told journalists: “Honestly, it was pretty funny.

“I really enjoyed the match thoroughly.

“(The chants) definitely added to the noise of the match and atmosphere out there on Centre Court.”

His girlfriend, Louise Jacobi, was among those cheering enthusiastically from the side-lines, and spectators were still on a high as they poured out of SW19’s main court.

Charlotte Moylan, 26, who watched with her parents Michael and Jane Ham, told the PA news agency that she was “screaming” for Norrie and shed a tear at the end of his match.

When asked how they reacted to the match, Mr Ham whistled loudly, and Ms Moylan said: “A lot of that, yes.

“We were screaming.

“It was expected, he was doing so well throughout the whole thing – we knew he was going to win, it was just a case of when he was going to seal the deal.

“When he did, the crowd went wild, it was amazing.

“I was very overwhelmed with the whole experience, but I think everyone was.

“There was a couple behind me going crazy and we were all welling up together watching it.”

Mr Ham, a 52-year-old managing director, said: “He breezed it. Us Brits support the Brits don’t we.

“It was a really good game – looking forward to watching him win the final.”

Dan Musgrave, a 33-year-old accountant from Worthing, West Sussex, said: “It got quite rowdy towards the end.

“The ‘Norrie, Norrie, Norrie, oi, oi, oi’ chants got going, like a football crowd.

“Everyone’s really behind him now and I think he’ll be an awkward opponent for whoever he plays next.”

Solicitor Hafsa Umarji, 41, said she could see the emotion on Norrie’s face from her seat in the front rows and dubbed him “Britain’s only hope”.

Ms Umarji, from South Woodford in north-east London, told PA: “The atmosphere was amazing, and everybody was really willing him on.

“We were right at the front and we saw him – you could tell that he really wanted it.

“Every point mattered, even though he was winning.

“It was so good to be a part of something like that because since Andy’s gone out, he’s Britain’s only hope now – from the men.

“There were a few people calling ‘Andy’ out, trying to say he’s the next Andy Murray, but it’s a bit early for that.”