Cameron Norrie believes the odds are slowly turning in his favour as he prepares for another crack at Novak Djokovic.
Their meeting in the third round of the US Open on Friday will be the sixth time they have played each other, with Norrie so far losing all six and winning just two sets.
But, at 38, Djokovic is not the force he was and he has not looked comfortable in his first two matches in New York, dropping sets against Learner Tien and Zachary Svajda and struggling physically.
“I will say the chances are getting better as the years get on – I would not say by much,” said Norrie.
“But the level he brings, the competitiveness he brings, is crazy. Every time I’ve played him, he’s changing his tactics and making it really difficult for me to play.
“So I’m just ready for anything. Him to play unreal. Him to play not great. Him to be stopping the match for something and then playing really good. I think he’s so, so good at competing and tactics. He’s amazing.
“It’s going to be very tough. I’m going to have to play close to my best to have a chance with him. I’ve never played on Arthur Ashe here.
“It’s probably the only big court in tennis that I’ve never played. Hopefully I get to play on that one.
“I’m so happy to be with my team and to be enjoying New York and getting the chance to have a crack at one of the best players in history.
“I think the chances are greater for me to win the match than in previous years or in previous form for him.”
Norrie has emerged from a difficult period in which he came close to dropping out of the top 100, rediscovering his form on clay then grass with a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
The 30-year-old’s ability to stay mentally focused and physically strong, grinding out victories against opponents possessing greater weapons, carried him to the top 10 a couple of years ago and was in evidence as he battled to a four-set win over Francisco Comesana in the second round.
At the French Open this spring, Norrie was brushed aside by Djokovic in the fourth round, but the British number two is confident in his game plan.
“I’m going to have to beat him with physicality,” said Norrie. “I’m going to have to beat him with my game, my tennis.
“I’m not going to be going out and being a serve bot and hitting him off the court. I’m going to stick to the way I’m playing and really, really make it as physical as I can.
“I think at the French Open I didn’t compete as well as I would have liked at the end of some of the sets. It went very quickly for him.
“I think it’s shown for me at slams in the French, Wimby and now here, I can be a tough guy to beat over five sets.
“Not playing that good, just being there point for point and wearing guys down. So I’m going to do the same with him.”
Djokovic came into the US Open without having played a match since Wimbledon, and Norrie will hope to exploit a blister on the Serbian’s foot.
Djokovic has cut a downbeat figure so far in New York, but he said after coming from a set down to beat Svajda: “It’s not a motivation thing.
“It’s just me a bit frustrated with my game and then I kind of go through stuff internally that, you don’t want to know the details what I’m going through and telling myself.
“It’s not like I’m not finding joy on the court competing. I enjoy competing, but I don’t enjoy not playing well. That’s why I put extra pressure on myself and my team to be better the next day, the next match.”
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