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Match Details
Fixture: (7) Carlos Alcaraz vs (9) Cameron Norrie
Date: 5 May 2022.
Tournament: Madrid Open 2022.
Round: Third round (Round of 16).
Venue: Madrid, Spain.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: €6,744,165.
Match Timing: Not before 8 pm local time, 6 pm GMT, 11.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Cameron Norrie preview
Seventh seed Carlos Alcaraz will take on ninth seed Cameron Norrie in the last 16 of the Madrid Open on Thursday.
The Spaniard advanced to the third round in Madrid with a comfortable straight-sets win against Nikoloz Basilashvili, while Norrie had to work hard against John Isner, eventually prevailing 6-4 in the decider.
Alcaraz has been in red-hot form this season, with three titles to his name already. The Spaniard won the Rio Open by beating Diego Schwartzman in the final and followed it up with a run to the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters, falling to Rafael Nadal in a grueling three-set encounter.
The 18-year-old picked up the biggest title of his nascent career in Miami, beating Miomir Kecmanovic, reigning champion Hubert Hurkacz and Casper Ruud en route to his maiden Masters 1000 crown.
Alcaraz did not have the best of starts to the European claycourt season as he lost to Sebastian Korda in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters. However, he bounced back by winning the Barcelona Open, beating compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta in the final. He also cracked the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career, becoming the youngest player to do since Rafael Nadal over a decade ago.
Norrie, on the other hand, made a poor start to the season, losing all of his singles matches at the ATP Cup. He was then eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open. The Brit reached the quarterfinals of the Rotterdam Open, where he lost to eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Norrie rediscovered his best tennis in Delray Beach, winning the title by beating Reilly Opelka in the final. The 26-year-old carried his good form into the Mexican Open in Acapulco, advancing to the final before losing to Rafael Nadal in straight sets.
The Brit launched his claycourt season at the Barcelona Open, where he lost to Alex de Minaur in three sets in the quarterfinals.
Seeded No. 9 at the Madrid Open, Norrie began with a 7-5, 7-5 win over South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo. The 26-year-old then dwarfed big-serving John Isner in the second round to reach the last 16 of a Masters 1000 tournament on clay for the first time in his career.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Cameron Norrie head-to-head
This will be the third meeting between the two players, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head 2-0. The Spaniard won their first encounter at the US Open last year in straight sets.
His second meeting with Norrie took place in the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters a few months ago. Once again, Alcaraz triumphed in straight sets.
The winner of this match will take on either Rafael Nadal or David Goffin in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Cameron Norrie odds
All odds sourced from Oddschecker.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Cameron Norrie prediction
Alcaraz is the firm favorite, given his form and head-to-head record against Norrie.
The Spaniard has won 23 out of 30 matches on clay since the start of the 2021 season, while Norrie has managed just 18 wins from 25 matches during that period.
Alcaraz has one of the most well-rounded games on the men's circuit despite being just 18 years old. He has a monstrous forehand, tremendous footspeed and court coverage, and his ability to switch from defense to offense is second to none. His drop shot is also a huge weapon on clay.
Norrie is a solid counterpuncher, but he may have to adopt a more proactive approach against Alcaraz and prevent the Spaniard from dictating play from the baseline.
Neither player possesses a great serve, meaning the match will likely feature a high number of breaks.
All things considered, Alcaraz should not have too much trouble beating the Brit and advancing to the quarterfinals.
Pick: Alcaraz to win in straight sets.
