By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie [2] def Aslan Karatsev 6-7(8) 6-3 6-4
- Norrie v Holger Rune [7] | H2H: Norrie leads 3-0
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – Cameron Norrie battled past Aslan Karatsev in a three hour epic to reach the quarter-finals where he will face seventh seed Holger Rune.
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Cameron Norrie [2] def Aslan Karatsev 6-7(8) 6-3 6-4
Cameron Norrie battled past Aslan Karatsev in three hours to reach the quarter-finals in Stockholm. The match was the Brit’s first since testing positive for COVID in Asia and the Brit started in positive fashion breaking Karatsev in a long opening game, converting his third break point. Karatsev mounted moments of attacking tennis but couldn’t find anything consistent in the early stages as he was forced to save break point opportunities.
However towards the end of the set, Karatsev applied the pressure on Norrie with some attacking play, attempting to dominate at the net. For the most part the second seed neutralised the Russian’s power on the big points as he saved break points and looked to win the opening set.
The Brit had two opportunities to close the set out but played two poor service games with the opening set heading to a tiebreak. Norrie got off to a great start but the Brit was too passive on the big points and failed to convert his only set point of the tiebreak. That gave Karatsev the confidence to take control of the tiebreak as he converted his third set point to take the tiebreak 10-8 and the opening set.
Karatsev had the momentum and was turning defence into attack with relative ease in the second set as Norrie couldn’t find a way to outpower the aggressive Russian. Karatsev secured the break at 2-1 and was starting to believe that he could beat the Brit.
However Norrie turned things around, playing more aggressive tennis and taking the match to Karatsev with his backhand being a big part of that. Two breaks of serve later and Norrie reeled off three games in a row to take a 5-2 lead. More errors were produced from Karatsev as Norrie held his nerve to close out the second set with ease and level the match at one set all.
The final set saw both players feeling comfortable on their serve with Norrie being the one who was forced to work the hardest. The Brit found confident plays on big points to deny Karatsev on most occasions.
After conceding the break in the sixth game, Norrie found a way back with some poor decision-making from Karatsev contributing to the Brit’s comeback. A love hold secured a fourth game in a row and a place in the quarter-finals in a match that lasted just over three hours.
Cameron Norrie [2] v Holger Rune [7] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie [2] v Holger Rune [7] | H2H: Norrie leads 3-0 |
| ATP Stockholm | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: €19,565 |
| Second on Centre Court, not before 1:30pm (12:30pm BST) | TennisTV <- Subscription Required |
Norrie now takes on seventh seed Holger Rune for a spot in the semi-finals with the Brit winning all three meetings this season.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 14) | Holger Rune (WR 27) |
| Tournament Previous Best | N/A | N/A |
| 1st Serve % | 66 | 62.6 |
| Service Games Won % | 81.2 | 79.7 |
| Break Points Saved % | 63.1 | 59.4 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 53.6 | 50.1 |
| Break Points Converted % | 44.3 | 40.5 |
Norrie will be aware of Rune’s improvement on serve heading into this match but will be encouraged by his efficiency on return.
Playing Styles and Prediction
A run to the final in Sofia has given Rune belief that he can end the season strong and mount a serious challenge to the top of the men’s game next season. Now working with Patrick Mouratoglou, Rune will believe that now is the time to gain some consistency heading into next season.
Norrie will need to play much better in this match with Rune being just as physical as Karatsev and more intelligent with his shot selection. The Dane will look to improve on return and test Norrie’s defensive skillset while the Brit will look to be just as aggressive as he was in their meeting at the US Open. Rune’s recent form suggests that he might get the better of Norrie this time around although it will be another tight contest.
Prediction: Rune in three sets.
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