By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie def Alex Michelsen [7] 2-6 7-6(1) 6-1
- Norrie v Reilly Opelka [WC] | H2H: Norrie leads 2-1
DALLAS, USA – Cameron Norrie earned a confidence boosting win in Dallas with a three set win over Alex Michelsen and now awaits Reilly Opelka in the second round.
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Cameron Norrie def Alex Michelsen [7] 2-6 7-6(1) 6-1
Cameron Norrie is into the second round in Dallas after defeating the in-form Alex Michelsen in three sets. It was a win that Norrie needed badly after a turbulent start to the season but the Brit started the match in nervy fashion against the in-form American. There was some passive play from Norrie on the forehand side which allowed Michelsen to unleash his fiery forehand and create two break points.
However, Norrie fended off the early threat and eventually settled into the match as he frustrated Michelsen with some holds of serve. There was a spell in the opening set where Norrie had dominant control as he produced some aggressive serving but that spell wasn’t to last long. The Brit lost concentration towards the end of the set and Michelsen continued his aggressive baseline hitting to break in two consecutive return games, taking the opening set 6-2.
There needed to be an aggressive start to the second set from Norrie to stop Michelsen’s momentum and that’s exactly what the world number 63 did. Better usage of angles allowed Norrie to dictate play and the Brit converted his third break point of the opening game to break serve. However, Norrie was soon under pressure from Michelsen with the American refusing to give up as the Brit was forced to save four break points in the next game.
The pressure wouldn’t stop on Norrie’s serve as Michelsen continued his aggressive play on return using the forehand to force the Brit out of position. Two more break points were saved in the sixth game with Norrie taking a 4-2 lead but third time would be the charm for the persistent American. On his eighth break point of the set, Michelsen broke to level the set at 4-4 as Norrie’s concentration once again dipped.
Neither player buckled under pressure after that game as the second set would be decided in a tiebreak. It was a dominant tiebreak as Norrie seized control with some efficient serving and some clinical volleying at the net as Michelsen grew frustrated with his lack of success on the backhand. A mixture of power and depth on the forehand side suffocated Michelsen’s baseline play as he took the tiebreak 7-1, levelling the match at one set all.
It was one way traffic from there as Norrie quickly secured a double break lead at 4-0 with some vicious and clinical forehand winners. The British number two neutralised Michelsen’s movement as Norrie was in firm control and had three match points in the sixth game. However the American produced some clutch serving to save the match points and get on the board in the final set.
In the end a powerful serve completed an impressive set of tennis from Norrie as he booked his place in the second round in Dallas.
Cameron Norrie v Reilly Opelka WC] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie v Reilly Opelka [WC] | H2H: Norrie leads 2-1 |
| ATP Dallas 2025 | Dallas, USA |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $40,365 |
| Fourth on Grandstand (22:30 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Norrie will now face the in-form Reilly Opelka in the second round who has started the season well after a number of years off the tour due to injury.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Last 52 Weeks)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 63) | Reilly Opelka (WR 145) |
| Tournament Previous Best | N/A | Champion (2022) |
| 1st Serve % | 66.3 | 64.4 |
| Service Games Won % | 78.7 | 88.7 |
| Break Points Saved % | 62.5 | 68.3 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 51.5 | 43.2 |
| Break Points Converted % | 38.7 | 30.1 |
As expected, Opelka’s serving has been exceptional to start the season so Norrie will need to be smart and proactive on return if he wants any chance of winning this match.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
It’s been a fantastic start to the season for Opelka who has spent a long time on the sidelines due to injury. A win over Novak Djokovic in Brisbane saw the American reach the final before retiring due to injury although a narrow five set loss to Tomas Machac at the Australian Open would have been tough to take. Now Opelka is looking to capitalise on tournaments in his home country as he targets a place in the world’s top 100 ahead of the clay court season.
Norrie need to create angles on the forehand side to move Opelka around the court as the Brit looks to be aggressive on serve. Meanwhile the American will produce big serves and forehands in order to neutralise Norrie’s baseline game creating short balls from the Brit in order to hit efficient winners from. This will be a testing match for Norrie and one that will see where his returning game is at heading into a crucial next couple of months.
Prediction: Opelka in three sets.
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