By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie [2] def Hugo Dellien [PR] 4-6 6-1 6-4
- Norrie v Bernabe Zapata Miralles | H2H: First Meeting
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Cameron Norrie edged out Hugo Dellien in three sets to reach the semi-finals in Rio De Janeiro where he will now face Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
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Cameron Norrie [2] def Hugo Dellien [PR] 4-6 6-1 6-4
Cameron Norrie is into the semi-finals in Brazil after edging past Hugo Dellien in three sets. The Bolivian is a resilient baseliner who wasn’t going to give Norrie many free points and would test the Brit’s mentality under pressure. The passive tactics of Dellien was clear and the world number 111 earned the rewards in the third game as he broke for a 2-1 lead after Norrie hit a forehand wide.
It was an unusually tame returning performance from Norrie in the opening set as he failed to test Dellien as none of the Bolivian’s service games went to Deuce. Dellien maintained a high first serve percentage and was extremely effective with his accurate serving as he secured the opening set in 37 minutes with an ace out wide.
That opening set seemed to wake up Norrie as the Brit stepped into the baseline more and became the more aggressive returner in the second set. A couple of forehand winners was evidence of Norrie’s more proactive approach as he secured the double break lead for a 4-0 lead. Despite being broken in the next game, Norrie maintained an aggressive approach to the set as he broke for a third time and closed out the set to love to level the match at one set all.
In the final set both players played their best tennis, dictating points by being aggressive and creating the space to hit winners into. After a proactive start to the set from Dellien, it was the second seed who dealt the crucial blow in the fifth game as Norrie broke for a 3-2 lead with a cross-court backhand doing most of the damage. Throughout the final set it was comfortable for Norrie on serve as he maintained a high level on serve and dictated most of the rallies.
However in the final game, Dellien tested Norrie’s nerve under pressure as the Bolivian created one break point as well as saving three match points. However it was the Brit’s depth that sealed victory in the end on his fourth attempt of trying as he sealed a place in the last four.
Cameron Norrie [2] v Bernabe Zapata Miralles | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie [2] v Bernabe Zapata Miralles | H2H: First Meeting |
| ATP Rio De Janeiro | Rio De Janeiro, Brazil |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: $55,170 |
| First on Quadra Guga Kuerten (20:00 GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Norrie will now face Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles for a place in his second consecutive ATP tour final.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2023)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 13) | Bernabe Zapata Miralles (WR 63) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R2 (2019) | QR1 (2022) |
| 1st Serve % | 64.8 | 64.2 |
| Service Games Won % | 81 | 63.4 |
| Break Points Saved % | 61.2 | 47 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 54.4 | 55.8 |
| Break Points Converted % | 38.4 | 42.9 |
Norrie will look to continue his confident serving against the efficient returning of Zapata Miralles.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
After a poor end to last season and good start to this season, Zapata Miralles has gained some form in South America gaining six wins in his last two tournaments. Now the Spaniard will look to reach the biggest final of his career and take a massive leap up the rankings as he eyes a place in the world’s top 50.
Norrie will look to create some effective serving patterns to open up the space in the court to hit efficient winners. Meanwhile Zapata Miralles will look to use a mixture of pace and depth to force the errors from Norrie. Should Norrie serve confidently and consistently well then it should be a comfortable victory but it will be a tough match against a player who is in good form on the clay.
Prediction: Norrie in straight sets.
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