Norrie provides a win for home crowd

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND It’s good when a home crowd has some skin in the game. And the last Brit standing in singles delivered plenty of joy at the All England Club.

With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — William and Kate — cheering him on from the royal box, Cameron Norrie became just the fourth British man to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon in the open era, though Sir Andy Murray more symbolically self-identifies as a Scot. Murray, or course, has won the whole shebang twice.

All through this two-week tournament, the 26-year-old Norrie, the No. 1 male player in the British Isles and seeded ninth here, has been urging his countrymen and countrywomen to bring him the love. He has kept his end of the bargain by bringing the game, persevering through five sets Tuesday to see off David Goffin, 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.

“Hopefully you guys will get behind me again,” Norrie told the Court 1 crowd. “I’m sure you will.”

Norrie, who had never advanced to the quarterfinals of a major before this year, has been raking on the green lawns of SW19.

“Just winning a match like this, I’m in shock. I don’t know what to say now. Just straight flashbacks to all the hard work … all the sacrifices I’ve had to make.”

Formerly a college tennis star at Texas Christian University, Norrie, actually born in Johannesburg, rallied from the rear in this match. Obviously nervous at the beginning, missing easy shots, he racked up 33 unforced errors through the first three sets. But Goffin, coming off an exhausting five-setter over American Frances Tiafoe in the round of 16, clearly began to lose energy as the encounter grinded on and Norrie’s left-handed groundstrokes found their targets, particularly in critical moments.

The Belgian earned a breakpoint in the second game of the decider but hooked a cross-court attempt into the net. After Norrie committed a pair of unforced errors while serving for the match, he responded with an ace and a honking loud “Come on!” He converted his second kick at match point when Goffin splatted the net with a backhand.

He was emotional on the court and at his press conference an hour later. “The situation, here at Wimbledon in front of my family, my friends, and obviously a lot of people following that match. Just a crazy day and crazy match to get through, especially with the way it started.”

Norrie now gets to face Novak Djokovic in the semi, for his sins.

On the women’s side, Tatjana Maria prevailed over Jule Niemeier, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, in an all-Germany quarterfinal clash.

“Today it was really nice for Germany,” Maria said after overcoming a twitchy start she attributed to nerves. “Thank God I came down and I found a little bit my game. At the end we had an amazing match.”

The 34-year-old, the fourth-lowest-ranked player to reach a semifinal at Wimbledon at No. 103, is less than a year removed from her second maternity leave and contesting her 46th major, never previously enduring past the third round. She trailed by a break in both the second and third sets, but her skein of slices and effortless pace ultimately wrecked her strapping opponent,

Maria’s mommyhood remains a constant source of obsession for the media. She doesn’t mind talking about it, ad nauseam.

“I love to talk about this. For me, that’s the most important thing in my life, to be a mom of my two kids. I’m here, yeah, in the semifinal of Wimbledon, it’s crazy, but I’m still a mom. I will change Pampers, everything normal, because that’s what makes me proudest is to be a mom.”

Third seed Ons Jabeur, from Tunisia, rebounded from a set down to defeat Marie Bouzkova, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, in the Tuesday’s other women’s quarterfinal, breaking the Czech’s service six times through the second and third frames.

The 27-year-old Jabeur, who lost at this stage a year ago, became the first Arab or North African player to reach the final four at any Slam. “It means a lot,” she said. Before the match, she spoke with Hicham Arazi, who played for Morocco until 2007. “He told me, ‘Arabs always lose in the quarterfinals and we are sick of it.’ I hope my journey continues.”