By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie [11] def Luca Van Assche 7-6(3) 6-0 6-3
- Norrie v Constant Lestienne | H2H: Norrie leads 1-0
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Cameron Norrie overcame a first set scare against French wildcard Luca Van Assche to set up a second round meeting with Constant Lestienne at the Australian Open.
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Cameron Norrie [11] def Luca Van Assche [WC] 7-6(3) 6-0 6-3
Cameron Norrie is into the second round after overcoming a valiant effort from French wildcard Luca Van Assche in straight sets. The first set was a complicated set from Norrie which saw the Brit have a break lead on three separate occasions before the Frenchman retaliated with power and aggression on return.
One of those occasions was in the first game as Norrie returned with authority, making Van Assche move and force the errors. The young Frenchman remained unfazed though as he broke to 30 in the next game to level the set at 1-1 and gained confidence from that by hitting the ball fearlessly. Norrie continued to serve well and extend the rallies as he aimed to take away the legs and movement from the 20 year-old wildcard.
The world number 12’s tactic paid off as he broke in the fifth game and had the opportunity to serve for the opening set on two occasions. However back came Van Assche once again with Norrie unable to find his serving accuracy, allowing the Frenchman to crush the ball from the baseline and find the angles to force the errors from Norrie. In the end Norrie was too strong as he dominated the first set tiebreak to take the opening set in 67 minutes.
That tiebreak was the start of a run of ten games in a row as Van Assche started to wear out allowing, Norrie to do what he does best and use his stamina to his advantage. The Brit’s variety in ball paces and depth was enough for the Frenchman to fatigue mentally as well as physically. As a result the Brit broke on four occasions to take the second set 6-0 as well as taking a 3-0 lead in the third set.
There was no giving up from the wildcard though and Van Assche stopped the run of games and even threatened the break at the end of the set. However Norrie remained firm and stopped the Frenchman in his tracks as a comfortable victory was secured as he advances into the second round of the Australian Open.
Cameron Norrie [11] v Constant Lestienne H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie [11] v Constant Lestienne | H2H: Norrie leads 1-0 |
| Australian Open 2023 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $158,850 |
| Fifth on KIA Arena (05:30 GMT) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime Sign up for 30 day free trial of Prime Video and a 7 day free trial of Discovery+ Player |
Norrie will now face another Frenchman in the second round in the form of Constant Lestienne.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Last 12 months)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 12) | Constant Lestienne (WR 55) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R3 (2021) | R2 (2017) |
| 1st Serve % | 66.1 | 62.2 |
| Service Games Won % | 81.6 | 75.2 |
| Break Points Saved % | 62.6 | 55.8 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 53 | 50 |
| Break Points Converted % | 44 | 38.8 |
Norrie will look to maintain his efficiency on break points but will be wary of the threat posed by Lestienne on return as well.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Lestienne enters the Australian Open in relatively good form having reached the semi-finals in Auckland and finds himself just outside the world’s top 50. The Frenchman has a solid baseline game and serve but will look to strengthen his all-round game this season if he wants to have a chance of climbing higher up the rankings.
Norrie will look to be aggressive from the baseline and will need to serve well to prevent the Frenchman from being aggressive on return. Lestienne will look to dominate the shorter rallies and look to maintain his position on top of the baseline and not allow Norrie any room to hit winners efficiently. If Norrie can keep a consistent level throughout the match then he should comfortably make the third round.
Prediction: Norrie in straight sets.
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