Britain’s high ranked participant Cameron Norrie has gone on that assault and put Novak Djokovic in his crosshairs.
The disagreement between the pair was reignited when Norrie slammed the Serbian star for failing to apologise after their current run-in.
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Djokovic toppled Norries throughout their spherical of 16 encounter through the Italian Open, however the match noticed barbs traded.
The world quantity three was livid along with his counterpart after being hit on the leg by an overhead smash from the Brit participant.
As they got here collectively on the web a frosty handshake unfolded as Djokovic’s anger took maintain and noticed him unload throughout his press convention.
“From the very beginning, he was doing all the things that were allowed,” Djokovic mentioned.
“He’s allowed to take a medical time-out. He’s allowed to hit a player. He’s allowed to say ‘C’mon’ in the face more or less every single point from basically the first game.
“Those are the things that we players know in the locker room. It’s not fair play, it’s not how we treat each other.”
As each males now put together for second spherical encounters on the French Open, Norrie determined it was time to reignite the feud.
The world quantity 13 returned hearth on the 22-time Grand Slam winner saying the celebrity bends the foundations to his personal benefit.
“He wanted some more time on the physio bed and the match was scheduled for 11am,” Norrie mentioned.
“And we walked out maybe 11.12am, 11.13am. I don’t think he saw any problem with that.
“He never said anything to me. And he never apologised.
“I asked: ‘Was that OK to do that?’. They [the officials] said: ‘Yeah, it is within the rules’. After 15 minutes, he gets defaulted. I said: ‘OK’, and I continued warming up.
“I’ve never seen that before from any player. Regardless if it’s a tennis match or not, you turn up on time for whatever it is.
“I wanted to win, it was one of those matches where he’s one of the best players in the world and I wanted to play my best and compete as hard as I could.
“I didn’t think I was in his face at all. I think, if anyone knows me, I’m pretty vocal in some matches. It was a regular tennis match for me.
“I was feeling my hip a little bit and I took the medical time-out. It is within the rules. And for him also it’s in the rules to start the match on his time – being late.”
Despite drawing the ire of the Serbian along with his overhead smash, Norrie mentioned he apologised immediately.
“I apologised straight away and I didn’t see him. I looked up and hit the ball down low,” he mentioned.
“I didn’t see him turn and concede the point.”
Djokovic courted controversy following his first spherical victory with a message written on the lens of the TV digicam as he walked off courtroom.
“Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop violence,” Djokovic wrote because the message was displayed on the large display.
The message infuriated the nation which declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
Norrie on the opposite finish endured a prolonged five-set thriller to advance into the second spherical at Roland Garros.
Source: www.news.com.au
