John McEnroe senses rivalry brewing between Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie which could settle in ‘grudge match’ at Wimbledon following Italian Open spat

Ever since Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie’s spat following their Italian open round of 16 matches, fans have been hyping up for a rematch, or rather a ‘grudge match’, between the 2 players. During their Italian open encounter, Cameron Norrie hit a smash which inadvertently hit Novak Djokovic on the foot.

Djokovic argued after the match, which he won in straight sets, that Norrie’s shot toward him was a deliberate one, to rile him up and make him lose focus. Norrie on the other hand has been firm in denying having done it intentionally, arguing that Djokovic was at fault for turning his back against the player while the point was still in play.

Norrie further said that Djokovic too did not make any apology to Norrie after appearing on the court 15 minutes late. “I’ve never seen that before from any player”, added Norrie.

John McEnroe spoke of a possible meeting between the two this year at Wimbledon. With Novak and Norrie being seeded 2^nd and 12^th respectively, they are expected to face off in the later stages of the anticipated tournament.

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Cameron Norrie will look forward to face Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon

McEnroe asked if there was any possibility to witness “a grudge match at Wimbledon?” He spoke about Italian Open where their heated rivalry was quite visible to the fans. John McEnroe stated that Norrie may be hoping for a match-off after “Novak made a few comments. Like he was being disrespectful,” he said.

McEnroe praised Norrie’s consistency in his game and his ability to win long rallies. “I’m just generally impressed that Norrie has done so well”, he added. McEnroe stated Norrie should be proud of his accomplishments.

McEnroe also commented that he “wouldn’t worry about Djokovic if I was him.” According to McEnroe, he should worry about other participants “who have moved past him in the rankings.” “But I’m sure for him he’d love to play Djokovic in the semis. That means he’s in the semis.”

The duo also met at Wimbledon last year in the semifinals. Norrie made a promising start, winning the first set 6 – 2. Djokovic however, took it from there, taking the next 3 sets in quick fashion, winning the match in 4 sets.

Norrie has been described by the other pros, including Djokovic, as a tricky player. He could certainly be a thorn in the way of Djokovic’s title defense and quest for an 8^th title at Wimbledon. Given the premise, a meeting between the 2 at the upcoming championships at Wimbledon will surely be exciting.

In case you missed it:

• Elena Rybakina breaks silence on her ‘fragile’ mindset before winning a historic Wimbledon title last year
• WATCH: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has a heated exchange at the net with Pavel Kotov after being hit on the body during their match in Mallorca

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