Novak Djokovic accuses Cameron Norrie of gamesmanship after smash incident in spicy Italian Open clash - 'not fair play'
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ByEurosport
Updated 16/05/2023 at 18:56 GMT
Novak Djokovic was not happy with Cameron Norrie after beating the British No. 1 in straight sets to progress to the quarter-finals of the Italian Open. Norrie hit a game-winning smash in the second set which struck Djokovic in the calf. The 22-time Grand Slam winner replied with a lengthy stare. After the match, Djokovic says Norrie was employing tactics in the match that were "not fair play".
'Not fair play' - Djokovic takes issue with Norrie's behaviour at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic has hit out at Cameron Norrie after he struck him on the leg with a smash during their last-16 match at the Italian Open on Tuesday.
Djokovic progressed to the Italian Open quarter-finals for the 17th year in a row with a 6-3 6-4 win over the British No. 1 as he chases his seventh title in Rome.
The flashpoint occurred when Norrie was down a set and a break.
Djokovic had turned around and given up on a point when Norrie produced a game-winning smash which struck Djokovic in the calf.
Djokovic did not look pleased with the smash and responded with a lengthy glare towards Norrie.
Norrie said sorry and raised his hand in apology, but it drew whistles from the crowd.
In Djokovic's press conference after the match, the 35-year-old accused Norrie of using tactics which he felt were not "fair play".
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"I did watch the replay when he hit me," he told reporters. "Maybe you could say he didn't hit me deliberately. I don't know if he saw me.
"Peripherally you can always see where the player is positioned on the court. The ball was super slow and super close to the net. I just turned around because the point was over for me.
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"It was not so much maybe about that, it was maybe about that, but it was maybe a combination of things. From the very beginning he was doing all the things that were allowed.
"He's allowed to take a medical timeout. He's allowed to hit a player. He's allowed to say 'come on' 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. But, again it's allowed so..."
Djokovic insists he gets on well with Norrie, but was not happy with the way the Brit conducted himself on the court.
He added: "I get along with Cameron really well all these years that he's been on the tour. Practiced with each other. He's a very nice guy off the court, so I don't understand this kind of attitude on the court, to be honest.
"But it is what it is. He brought the fire, and I responded to that. I'm not going to allow someone behaving like this just bending my head. I'm going to respond to that.
"That's all it is. What happens on the court, we leave it on the court, and we move on."
Djokovic will play Danish No. 7 seed Holger Rune in the Italian Open quarter-finals.
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Highlights as Rune and Zverev win rain-delayed matches in Rome
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