Normal Norrie deserving of Wimbledon success

Cameron Norrie will run and hit, and run and hit, and run and hit as the court-blanketing endurance machine against whom lengthy rallies and five-set marathons have now been etched and underscored on the tour's 'try avoid' list.

Stir in some added juice to a refined and weaponised forehand and you are left with one of the circuit's most improved players across the last year and a half, culminating in a career landmark as just the fourth British man in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Norrie overcame an early stumble on Tuesday to out-work and out-stroke his way through a 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 victory over David Goffin and pencil in a final-four showdown with Novak Djokovic, who had fought back from two sets down to defeat Casper Ruud earlier in the day.

It marks a career-best Grand Slam performance, and a feat that has been brewing for British tennis' unassuming star.

Norrie has been cycling to and from the Championships such is the relatively short distance between his house and the All England Club, citing the extra warm-up it offers and the added bonus of skipping the traffic.

In graciously declining the comfort of pre-arranged transport, he welcomes the normality and the independence he had sought and blossomed within while coming through the US college system as a student-athlete. The normality that has worked for him.

He is low-key and delicately spoken, but that is his thing now, not to mention why he is so easy to root for.

Though on this occasion Centre Court applauded a different and understandably-emotional Norrie as victory over Goffin reminded him of the journey to get here.

"Just all the hard work and the sacrifices and everything just kind of all hit me at once," said Norrie. "Especially the