Cameron Norrie last Briton standing in Wimbledon singles

Cameron Norrie took the scenic route to the Wimbledon quarter-finals as the last Briton standing in the singles at the All England Club.

Sunday nights are for taking it easy – crumpets, Antiques Roadshow and a warm bath – not controversy, acrimony and thunder showers.

However, no one appeared to tell Norrie and Chile’s Nicolás Jarry, who left the court to a chorus of boos after exchanging words at the net following a five-set rollercoaster.

Jarry was frustrated with the time Norrie was taking on his second serve, urging umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to intervene over alleged time-wasting.

Norrie, fired up by a partisan crowd, grew increasingly vocal, while Jarry became more and more vexed – though he had cooled down by the time he faced the media.

“I just told him something private at the end. That’s between us,” he said. “He played great, he was very focused, and he knows how to win these sorts of matches.”

Norrie also played the role of diplomat as he recorded one of the finest wins of his career on his favourite court, though a top score of 23 bounces between points does seem excessive.

“It’s a big match for both of us and I think he was just frustrated to lose, I understand that,” he said,

“He said I was being too vocal but I was aiming that at my team and pulling from the crowd. I’ve got nothing but credit for the way he played. Nico came to compete on every point, he played unbelievably well and fought to the very last point.”

Norrie appeared to be racing into the last eight, spurning a match point to wrap things up in straight sets. Two hours later, they were still trading blows – including some verbal shots – before the British No 3 eventually prevailed 6–3, 7–6, 6–7, 6–7, 6–3.

Jarry, a qualifier and former world No 16 whose ranking has tumbled after an illness that affected his balance and vision, sent down 46 aces and struck 105 winners as the pair exchanged brutal groundstrokes that echoed like gunfire beneath the No 1 Court roof, closed as lighting flashed overhead.

He had come from two sets down to beat the eighth seed Holger Rune in the first round, so had no qualms about going deep once again – although Norrie is regarded as one of the fittest players on the ATP Tour.

Ultimately, the exertions of Jarry’s comeback tilted the momentum back towards the Briton, who is now one win from matching his semi-final run of three years ago.

“I forgot to get my coach a birthday present – it’s his birthday today – so that one is for him,” said Norrie, who is coached by his close friend and former college roommate Facundo Lugones.

“At the start of this year I was struggling with confidence and had some doubts. I just wanted to enjoy my tennis a bit more, and I’m doing that – but it’s a bonus to win.

“I had to hang in there because he was doing an amazing job of staying with me. What a battle – and it’s just great to be through to another quarter-final at the best tournament in the world.”

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