By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie [12] def Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2 6-4
- Norrie v Corentin Moutet [Q] | H2H: Norrie leads 1-0
PARIS, FRANCE – Cameron Norrie earned a much needed win over Miomir Kecmanovic to reach the second round in Paris-Bercy where he faces Corentin Moutet.
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Cameron Norrie [12] def Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2 6-4
Cameron Norrie earned a much-needed win as he defeated Miomir Kecmanovic in straight sets to reach the second round in the French capital. Norrie was dominant from the start as the Brit was confident and clinical in return with Kecmanovic offering very little in attack. The Serb was making a flurry of unforced errors while Norrie was ruthless when his opportunities came.
Norrie converted two of his three break point opportunities as he took a double lead and a 4-1 lead with their being more energy about the 12th seed’s play. The same couldn’t be said about Kecmanovic with the Serb unable to finish off well-constructed patterns of play as he lacked a ruthless edge. The Brit’s defensive skills did all the damage as he comfortably served out the opening set in 37 minutes.
In the second set Kecmanovic created more winners and was able to dictate play more effectively on this fast Parisian court. The Serb edged to two service hold while Norrie replayed with two holds to love as Norrie continued to impress on serve.
Then the final blow to Kecmanovic’s hopes arrived as the Serb played a poor service game in the fifth game with the Brit stepping up his return game to break for a 3-2 lead. There was no retaliation from Kecmanovic as he played an underwhelming match on return, with Norrie only losing one point on serve in the second set.
Victory was sealed in 71 minutes as Norrie earned a much-needed victory and a place in the second round in Paris.
Cameron Norrie [12] v Corentin Moutet [Q] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie [12] v Corentin Moutet [Q] | H2H: Norrie leads 1-0 |
| ATP Paris-Bercy | Paris, France |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: €39,070 |
| Sixth on Court Central (Not before 19:30 GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Norrie will now face talented Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the second round after Moutet defeated Borna Coric in his opening round.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 13) | Corentin Moutet (WR 64) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R3 (2021) | R2 (2019, 2020) |
| 1st Serve % | 66 | 65.2 |
| Service Games Won % | 81.3 | 76 |
| Break Points Saved % | 62.6 | 59 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 53.1 | 53.6 |
| Break Points Converted % | 43.9 | 43.9 |
Norrie edges out the serving statistics but it’s Moutet who narrowly leads the return statistics heading into this match.
Playing Styles and Prediction
Moutet has had his season disrupted through injury but the Frenchman has hit form at the right time and can beat anyone on his day. Moutet’s power mixed with athleticism and court craft sees him as one of the most entertaining players on the tour as he looks to build momentum towards next season.
Norrie will need to ensure that his serve is consistent and high-quality as he will need to dictate the match with powerful shot-making. Meanwhile Moutet will look to rally the French crowd as much as possible and continue to be efficient on break point opportunities. This will be a tough match for Norrie but if the Brit can keep the level that saw him beat Kecmanovic then he should edge through but any drop in level and Moutet will take advantage.
Prediction: Norrie in three sets.
Gilles Simon [WC] def Andy Murray 4-6 7-5 6-3
As Norrie prepares for the second round, Andy Murray has a lot of reflecting to do about his future after a three set defeat to Gilles Simon. This was potentially the Frenchman’s last match of his career and for the first half of the match it was looking that was as Murray broke twice to claim the opening set 6-4 in 59 minutes.
Murray then took a 5-3 lead and was serving for the match as he managed to grind errors out of Simon. However the hostile Parisian crowd got to Murray’s head and the Brit produced a shocking second half of the match which allowed Simon to take advantage as four games in a row sealed the second set.
Simon went from strength to strength while Murray couldn’t grab the momentum back as the Frenchman broke twice in the final set to extend his career for another day. As for Murray that’s his season over with 2022 seeing him reach two finals but also inconsistent results that surely he will need to analyse ahead of next season.
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