By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie [13] v Gael Monfils [PR]
- H2H: Monfils leads 2-0
CINCINNATI, USA – Cameron Norrie searches for an improvement in form ahead of the US Open as he takes on an in-form Gael Monfils in his Cincinnati opener.
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H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie [13] v Gael Monfils [PR] | H2H: Monfils leads 2-0 |
| ATP Cincinnati 2023 | Cincinnati, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $26,380 |
| Fourth on Stadium Court, not before 2:30pm (7:30pm BST) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
After another opening round exit in Toronto, Cameron Norrie will be looking for form heading into the US Open when he takes on the in-form Gael Monfils in his Cincinnati opener.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2023)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 13) | Gael Monfils (WR 276) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Semi-Final (2022) | Quarter-Final (2011) |
| 1st Serve % | 64.8 | 58.9 |
| Service Games Won % | 79.9 | 81.7 |
| Break Points Saved % | 63 | 61.6 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 52.4 | 47.3 |
| Break Points Converted % | 40.3 | 39.8 |
Norrie will look to be more consistent on return as he is proven throughout the season that he can be a clinical returner but now needs to show consistency against an effective server like Monfils.
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Playing styles and prediction
After suffering an injury at Roland Garros, Monfils is back on the tour and back in form having gained some valuable wins over Alexander Bublik and Stefanos Tsitsipas. As a result, the Frenchman reached the last eight in Toronto last week and will now look to carry the momentum into Cincinnati as he looks to get his ranking back up into the world’s top 100.
Norrie will look to be consistent and aggressive as he will look to use depth to neutralise Monfils’ explosive power from the baseline. Meanwhile the Frenchman will look to use the angles and create shorter balls on his forehand side in order to hit flawless winners. This is a worse possible match for the Brit given his current form as he would want to ease his way and gradually build up his confidence. However a win here could signal the start of a momentum shift in his season ahead of an important two weeks at the US Open.
Prediction: Monfils in straight sets.
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