‘He would die’ – coach Cameron Norrie describes the incredible fitness of the Wimbledon semi-finalist
Wimbledon has seen much made of Cameron Norrie’s astonishing physical stamina, and his coach Facundo Lugones is now stoking the fires of that reputation.
The world number 12 looked as fresh in five sets against Davis Goffin as he did at the start of their three-and-a-half-hour quarter-final.
This, among other benefits, saw Norrie become the first Briton to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Andy Murray in 2016.
Speaking at a separate press conference on Wednesday, his coach Lugones explained just how fit Norrie really is.
“[Cam] probably [does] more [fitness] than anyone,” he said. “Especially when he’s in conditioning, he does some really intense conditioning on the field where he stays in that red zone where the heart goes crazy.
“That’s why he looked more comfortable in the fifth set than at the beginning of the match.”
When asked to clarify the ‘red zone’, Lugones revealed that Norrie would maintain a heart rate of 200 beats per minute for more than seven minutes.
He said: “I don’t think a normal person can do it for a minute and a half. He would probably, I don’t know, die. He would be close to fainting.
“He can play tennis for eight, nine minutes.”
As long as Norrie can stay with Djokovic on Friday, that capacity could make the semifinals a contest.
Speaking at the press conference after the quarter-finals, Norrie said: “Now I’m looking forward to taking her to the [Djokovic] and seeing the level he brings.
Asked the all-important question of whether he believed he could beat the six-time Wimbledon champion, Norrie replied: “Sure.”
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