By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie def Filip Misolic [Q] 7-6(7) 4-6 6-3
- Norrie v Alexander Zverev [5] | H2H: Zverev leads 3-0
VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Cameron Norrie ended his recent losing streak with victory over qualifier Filip Misolic and will now face Alexander Zverev in the second round in Vienna.
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Cameron Norrie def Filip Misolic [Q] 7-6(7) 4-6 6-3
Cameron Norrie is into the second round in Vienna after ending his four match losing streak with victory over Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic. It was an ideal start for Norrie as he built confidence on return in the opening game as he took advantage of Misolic’s early nerves to break serve. However Norrie’ aggression didn’t last long as the Austrian responded with a break of his own, converting his second break point as the Brit failed to be consistent on serve.
The remainder of the set was dominated by the serve with Norrie showing signs of improvement and aggression on the forehand. Despite Norrie’s proactive play, Misolic was able to produce moments of high-quality play on the baseline as he pushed for the crucial break of serve in the 12th game. However Norrie was able to save three set points as he forced an opening set tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, Norrie remained dominant throughout but faltered when it really mattered as he let two set points slip at 6-4. After saving a fourth set point, the British number one eventually took the tiebreak 9-7 as Misolic produced a rare unforced error.
After claiming the opening set, Norrie’s level dropped at the start of the second set which allowed Misolic to take advantage as he broke in the opening game. The world number 18 tried everything in the second set to try and regain the momentum but Misolic’s consistency from the baseline was too strong for the Brit. The in-form qualifier sealed the second set with an ace as he took the set 6-4 in 46 minutes.
Despite a dip in form in the second set, Norrie was able to raise his level in the deciding set as he played some consistently good tennis from the baseline. The Brit’s patience was rewarded as Misolic produced a crucial forehand unforced error as Norrie broke for a 2-0 lead. That was the key moment in the match as Norrie went from strength to strength on serve, losing only two points on serve.
The Austrian produced some high-quality shots on his own serve but it wasn’t enough as an ace sealed Norrie’s first win since Zhuhai as he secured a place in the second round in Vienna.
Cameron Norrie v Alexander Zverev [5] | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie v Alexander Zverev [5] | H2H: Zverev leads 3-0 |
| ATP Vienna 2023 | Vienna, Austria |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: €35,245 |
| Fourth on Centre Court, not before 7pm (6pm BST) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Norrie will now take on fifth seed Alexander Zverev in the second round after the German secured his 50th win of the season in Vienna.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2023)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 18) | Alexander Zverev (WR 10) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R2 (2021, 2022) | Champion (2021) |
| 1st Serve % | 65.1 | 70 |
| Service Games Won % | 79.9 | 84.5 |
| Break Points Saved % | 63.9 | 62.1 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 51.5 | 51.9 |
| Break Points Converted % | 40.9 | 37.5 |
Norrie will need to be consistent on return as he is up against one of the best servers on the tour in Zverev.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Since Wimbledon, Zverev has been in incredible form having won two titles in Hamburg and Chengdu as well as another deep run at the US Open. Now having regained his place inside the world’s top ten the German will now hope to make a late surge towards qualification for the ATP Finals.
Norrie will look to be aggressive on serve as he will look to neutralise Zverev’s backhand with accurate serving and by using a mixture of power and variety. Meanwhile the German will look to use depth to create unforced errors from Norrie while using drop shots to move Norrie away from the baseline. A good performance from Norrie will be encouraging heading into next season but Zverev should prove too strong for the Brit here.
Prediction: Zverev in straight sets.
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