By Tony Fairbairn
- Cameron Norrie def Jiri Lehecka [23] 3-6 6-4 7-5
- Norrie v Tommy Paul [10] | H2H: Norrie leads 3-1
INDIAN WELLS, USA – Cameron Norrie found his form to edge past Jiri Lehecka and will now face Tommy Paul in the third round of Indian Wells.
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Cameron Norrie def Jiri Lehecka [23] 3-6 6-4 7-5
Cameron Norrie earned the biggest win of his season after edging out Jiri Lehecka in a three set battle. The Brit had to overcome a poor start in order to win the match as he came out passive and allowed Lehecka to dictate play. The Czech Republican took full advantage to break in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead and survived a tough service game in the following game to consolidate the break.
There was no sign of the pressure easing off as Lehecka continued to be dominant on serve and finished point off at the net. Norrie did little to throw the 23rd seed off his game as the Brit was forced to fend off another break point as he held serve in the eighth game and forced Lehecka to serve out the opening set. However, Lehecka continued to be effective at the net as he closed out the opening set comfortably.
In the second set Norrie continued to hang on by a thread, saving break point in the opening game. However the Brit would find his groove as the set went on playing some attacking tennis and forcing Lehecka into some innovative shots. Norrie was able to nullify Lehecka’s attacking returns and the Brit was rewarded by breaking comfortably in the tenth game to force a deciding set.
The final set saw a who variety of twists and turns as once again Norrie was forced to save three break points in the opening game. A tense game was survived and Norrie let loose on return as he broke in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead. That wasn’t to last long though as Lehecka immediately broke back with some aggressive patterns of play on return.
Towards the end of the set, Lehecka showed great bravery and skill to save three match points and hold for 5-5 before putting Norrie under real pressure on return. However, Norrie saved three break points and used the forehand to break in the twelfth game, earning the biggest win of his season so far.
Cameron Norrie v Tommy Paul [10] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Cameron Norrie v Tommy Paul [10] | H2H: Norrie leads 3-1 |
| Indian Wells 2025 | Indian Wells, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $64,500 |
| First on Stadium Two (18:00 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Norrie will now face Tommy Paul for a place in the last 16 with Norrie winning three of their previous four meetings.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Last 52 Weeks)
| H2H: | Cameron Norrie (WR 77) | Tommy Paul (WR 11) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Champion (2021) | Semi-Final (2024) |
| 1st Serve % | 67 | 61.3 |
| Service Games Won % | 79.6 | 82.5 |
| Break Points Saved % | 61 | 66.2 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 51.7 | 53.6 |
| Break Points Converted % | 37.1 | 43.1 |
Norrie will aim to serve aggressively against a consistent and efficient returner like Paul in this crucial third round contest.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Paul has had a decent start to the year having reached the Australian Open quarter-finals as well as making a deep run in Dallas. Now the American aims to back up his semi-final performance from last year as he has a place in the world’s top ten in his sights with the American playing some aggressive and consistent tennis.
Norrie will continue to be aggressive on serve but will need to make a better start to the match than he did against Lehecka. Meanwhile Paul will look to take the ball early and take time away from Norrie allowing the American to play his rapid counter-attacking game. This should be an entertaining match and if Norrie can continue playing consistently aggressive tennis than he has a chance of victory.
Prediction: Norrie in three sets.
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