By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie [2] def Thiago Monteiro 7-5 7-5
- Norrie v Hugo Dellien [PR] | H2H: First Meeting
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Cameron Norrie ousted out Thiago Monteiro in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals in Rio De Janeiro where he will face Hugo Dellien.
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Cameron Norrie [2] def Thiago Monteiro 7-5 7-5
Cameron Norrie is into the quarter-finals in Rio De Janeiro after a straight sets victory over home favourite Thiago Monteiro. Despite the victory, it was a shaky performance from Norrie who was too passive in the big moments despite controlling most of the match. Norrie claimed the opening game with a break of serve as some deep groundstrokes caught Monteiro off-guard with both men trying to adapt to the slower night time conditions.
Monteiro looked to gradually play his way into the match but the Brazilian’s serve was too inconsistent which saw Norrie create four break points for the double break lead in the third game. However the Brit was too wasteful on break point opportunities and after failing to break Norrie was broken in the sixth game as Monteiro levelled the second set at 3-3.
The Brazilian attempted to fend off an aggressive response from the second seed with Norrie creating four break points in the seventh game. Monteiro successfully held but was broken in the ninth game as Norrie looked to close out a rollercoaster opening set.
However a forehand winner from the Brazilian secured the break back with Norrie clearly feeling the ball had landed out. Norrie’s resilience was strong though and he remained stubborn as he forced the errors from Monteiro as he broke again and closed out the opening set 7-5 in 85 minutes.
There was a more consistent rhythm to the second set as both players felt comfortable behind their own service games. An aggressive return game from Norrie in the fifth game was the key difference as he broke for a 3-2 lead and consolidated comfortably after that. The Brit had three match points on Monteiro’s serve to try and close out the victory but the Brazilian held firm and forced Norrie to serve out the match.
That’s when Norrie once again felt the pressure of closing out the match as the crowd slowly was starting to irritate him. Monteiro’s defensive tennis forced the errors from Norrie as the world number 83 broke back for 5-5. Norrie remained calm though and the second seed broke straight back for a 6-5 lead before closing out the match on his sixth match point to seal a place in the last eight.
Cameron Norrie [2] v Hugo Dellien [PR] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie [2] v Hugo Dellien [PR] | H2H: First Meeting |
| ATP Rio De Janeiro | Rio De Janeiro, Brazil |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: $55,170 |
| First on Quadra Guga Kuerten at 4:30pm (7:30pm GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Norrie now faces Bolivian Hugo Dellien for a place in the semi-finals with Dellien knocking out Alex Molcan in the last round.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2023)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 13) | Hugo Dellien (WR 111) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R2 (2019) | R1 (2020) |
| 1st Serve % | 66 | 71.4 |
| Service Games Won % | 81 | 80.4 |
| Break Points Saved % | 63.3 | 60.4 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 54.3 | 56.4 |
| Break Points Converted % | 40.2 | 51.9 |
Norrie will have to be wary of Dellien’s efficient returning heading into this match as he will look to improve his serve from his last match.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Dellien struggled with injuries in the second half of last season but has responded well having recorded a number of wins at ATP level on clay so far this season. The Bolivian will be hoping to get his ranking inside the world’s top 100 as he looks to make the qualifying cut for the Masters 1000 events on the clay throughout the summer.
Norrie will need to serve much better than he did against Monteiro as well as be more proactive and step inside the baseline to be more aggressive. Dellien will look to be passive from the baseline and use his accuracy to force the errors from Norrie. If the Brit isn’t careful then Dellien could take the match out of his hands but Norrie should have the quality to edge through this match even if it is another shaky performance.
Prediction: Norrie in three sets.
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