Cameron Norrie pulls out of Paris Masters to rest for Davis Cup after admitting exhaustion

Cameron Norrie is taking a well-deserved holiday, a surprising move for the industrious British tennis player. However, this break might be his best chance to pull off a stunning upset in the Davis Cup in just a few weeks.

Great Britain is set to face Serbia in Malaga on November 23. The task became even more challenging after Dan Evans, a key player in last month’s Manchester event, suffered a season-ending calf tear. Now, Norrie needs to overcome his recent struggles and find his best form quickly if he wants to have any hope of defeating the world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Despite being ranked No. 17 in the world, Norrie performed poorly in the recent Davis Cup campaign. He lost both his singles matches against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland and Ugo Humbert of France, extending his poor form that started in the middle of the season. Now, Norrie has withdrawn from the Paris Masters, the last Masters 1000 event of the year, in acknowledgment that he has pushed himself too hard for too long.

Norrie explained to reporters, “I have the Davis Cup coming up, and I wanted to be fresh and in the right mindset for that. I injured my right knee in China, and I was concerned it could worsen.”

When asked about his exhaustion, Norrie admitted, “It’s a combination of physical and mental fatigue. It caught up with me. I lost several close matches towards the end of the season. Reflecting on my past, I’ve always come back stronger and better after taking some rest.”

Despite being a passionate rugby fan, Norrie only stayed in Paris long enough to watch the Rugby World Cup final, where he was joined by Djokovic and Roger Federer in the stands. Now, he will return to his base in Monaco, a tax haven that could potentially assemble a powerful Davis Cup team, although none of its residents were actually born there.

When asked about the last time he took a proper holiday, Norrie paused before admitting, “It’s been quite a while since I’ve had a week away from tennis.” During his break, Norrie plans to swim extensively, an activity that helps him maintain his impressive cardiovascular fitness without straining his sore knee.

Unless Norrie achieves a career-best victory over Djokovic in the Davis Cup quarter-final, Great Britain will heavily rely on their second singles player to defeat the Serbian No. 2, who will likely be the world No. 36 Laslo Djere.

Normally, Evans would have taken on that role. He has been exceptional in the GB shirt recently, winning five of his last six home matches in this competition. However, with Evans absent, captain Leon Smith will have to choose between the veteran Andy Murray – who is set to face his rival Alex de Minaur in Paris on Monday following some average results – and the promising 21-year-old Jack Draper.

Another factor to consider is the doubles match. Last month, Evans partnered successfully with his good friend Neal Skupski to secure Great Britain’s place in the finals week. While Skupski, the fourth-ranked doubles specialist in the world, is expected to play, his partner is yet to be determined. Joe Salisbury has not fully delivered in national duty, but his recent victory in the ATP 500 event in Vienna alongside American player Rajeev Ram suggests he is in great form.

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