By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie [9] def Ben Shelton [WC] 6-0 6-2
- Norrie v Carlos Alcaraz [3] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 3-0
CINCINNATI, USA – Cameron Norrie thrashed American wildcard Ben Shelton to reach the quarter-finals in Cincinnati where he will face Carlos Alcaraz.
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Cameron Norrie [9] def Ben Shelton [WC] 6-0 6-2
Cameron Norrie is into the last eight in Cincinnati after a dominant performance over American wildcard Ben Shelton. The American ousted out Casper Ruud in his previous match with some flawless power especially in long rallies and he continued to display that talent early on against the Brit. However Norrie displayed his ability to find angles on the run especially on the backhand as his consistency caused Shelton to make a number of errors in big points.
Shelton’s fatigue and effort from beating Ruud also took its toll as he began to look flat, and the Brit was at his clinical best taking advantage of that. The American started to find his rhythm towards the end of the set but at that point Norrie had already broken on three occasions to take a 5-0 lead. Despite denying two set points, Shelton couldn’t stop Norrie from converting his third as a ruthless set saw the ninth seed take a one set lead after 24 minutes.
The American continued to try and find solutions in the second set with a mixture of power and flair, seeing him construct some effective points. However the end product wasn’t there as Norrie took his fourth set point with some brutal hitting to seal a seventh game in a row.
In the third game, Shelton finally got on the board to the home crowd’s delight but the world number 229 lost his serve for a fifth time in the fifth game as Norrie’s consistency continued to draw out errors. The American would have one last positive to draw on after saving match point in the seventh game to win his second game of the match.
However it was Norrie who sealed his place in the last eight with a convincing hold as he handed the young American a valuable lesson.
Cameron Norrie [9] v Carlos Alcaraz [3] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie [9] v Carlos Alcaraz [3] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 3-0 |
| ATP Cincinnati | Cincinnati, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $157,995 |
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Norrie now takes one of the favourites for the US Open in Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals with the Brit looking to decrease the 3-0 head-to-head deficit against the Spaniard.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 11) | Carlos Alcaraz (WR 4) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R1 (2020, 2021) | R1 (2021) |
| 1st Serve % | 66 | 64.9 |
| Service Games Won % | 80.8 | 85.4 |
| Break Points Saved % | 62.3 | 65.4 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 53.9 | 53.7 |
| Break Points Converted % | 43.8 | 39.9 |
Both players have similar stats for the season with Alcaraz edging the serving stats while Norrie has been more clinical on break points.
Playing Styles and Prediction
After an early exit to Tommy Paul in Montreal last week, Alcaraz has bounced back this week as he looks to build momentum ahead of the US Open. This season has been another ground-breaking season for the talented Spaniard but will be determined to do better at grand slams having failed to reach a grand slam semi-final this year.
Norrie will look to continue to be consistent from defensive positions as well as continue to be aggressive. Alcaraz will look to serve well and force the Brit into uncomfortable positions with the Spaniard aiming to use his power to dictate the tempo of the match. This will be a good test for Norrie heading into the US Open and will get some much-needed confidence from it should he put in a good performance.
Prediction: Alcaraz in three sets.
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