By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie def Corentin Moutet 6-2 7-6(5)
- Norrie v Benjamin Bonzi [Q] | H2H: First Meeting
METZ, FRANCE – Cameron Norrie defeated a fiery Corentin Moutet to reach his final in over 20 months and will now face qualifier Benjamin Bonzi for the title in Metz.
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Cameron Norrie def Corentin Moutet 6-2 7-6(5)
Cameron Norrie is into his first ATP final of the season after defeating Corentin Moutet in straight sets. The British number two made an incredible start to the match as he broke in the opening game with some attacking play. As expected there was some unpredictable shot-making from the other side of the net with Moutet throwing in some underarm serves for good measure.
As the set went on, Moutet gradually gained in confidence from the baseline with the forehand doing some consistent damage. The Frenchman’s persistent pressure paid off when he created break point in the sixth game but some clutch serving from Norrie fended off the pressure. The lack of efficiency on return would cost Moutet with Norrie securing a second break of the set before closing the opening set out in 35 minutes.
The good tennis continued at the start of the second set with Norrie silencing the home crowd by winning eight points in a row to take a 2-0 lead. It looked like Norrie was cruising to victory but Moutet pumped himself up by mocking Norrie’s fist-pumping and claiming he wanted to hit Norrie with the ball at the change of ends.
This seemed to be the motivation that Moutet needed as he broke on two consecutive occasions to win four games in a row and take a 4-2 lead in the second set. Nothing is ever consistent with Moutet and that proved to be the case in the next game as the level headed Norrie gained the break back by taking advantage of some poor serving from Moutet.
After a chaotic last 20 minutes, both players found some consistent quality as they tested each other’s games with Norrie confident in winning the baseline exchanges. Some incredible mixture of variety and power saw Moutet win some big points on serve in order to force a second set tiebreak. Some inspired shot-making saw Moutet take a 5-2 lead as he stormed into a dominant lead in the tiebreak.
However Norrie denied Moutet the second set with an incredible recovery and a fifth consecutive point was sealed with a forehand passing shot winner as he reached his tenth career ATP final.
Cameron Norrie v Benjamin Bonzi [Q] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie v Benjamin Bonzi [Q] | H2H: First Meeting |
| ATP Metz 2024 | Metz, France |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: €51,400/€88,125 |
| Second on Court Central (Not before 15:30 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Norrie will look to win his first title of the season as he takes on qualifier Benjamin Bonzi for the Metz title.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 57) | Benjamin Bonzi (WR 124) |
| Tournament Previous Best | N/A | R2 (2022) |
| 1st Serve % | 64.1 | 60.8 |
| Service Games Won % | 81.1 | 73.2 |
| Break Points Saved % | 64.1 | 57.4 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 50.5 | 47 |
| Break Points Converted % | 40 | 33.3 |
Norrie will aim to continue his efficiency on break points as he takes on a consistent and effective server in the form of Bonzi.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Bonzi has been in exceptional form over the last few weeks with the Frenchman winning back-to-back titles on home soil and reaching a final in another Challenger. Furthermore Bonzi is now into the Metz having qualified for the event, defeating ATP Finals participant Casper Ruud along the way. The Frenchman will hope to win the title as he looks to re-enter the world’s top 100 and enter the Australian Open main draw entry list.
A quick start will be key for Norrie as he will continue to be aggressive on return. Meanwhile Bonzi will continue to be proactive on serve as he looks to rush the Brit’s play. This match could come down to fine margins and with the form that Bonzi is in, it would be hard to bet against the Frenchman at this stage although anything is possible given Norrie’s tennis this week.
Prediction: Bonzi in three sets.
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