Wimbledon 2021: Roger Federer vs Cameron Norrie preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Roger Federer vs (29) Cameron Norrie

Date: 3 July 2021

Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon

Round: Third round (Round of 32)

Venue: London, Great Britain

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Grass

Prize money: £17,066,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Roger Federer vs Cameron Norrie preview

Roger Federer swept past Richard Gasquet in his second-round match on Thursday, winning 7-6 (1), 6-1, 6-4. The eight-time champion will next face home favorite Cameron Norrie in the third round on Saturday.

Federer started slowly against Gasquet, who kept the Swiss on his toes with his elegant one-handed backhand. But Federer turned up the heat in the first-set tiebreak, where he conceded just one point.

The next two sets were one-way traffic in favor of the 39-year-old, who finally found the range on his groundstrokes. Federer found some spectacular angles and depth off his forehand in the second half of the match, giving Gasquet very little time to breathe.

The 39-year-old also showed how he always has a Plan B up his sleeve if his main strategy doesn't work. After the first set Federer attacked Gasquet's forehand - by far his weaker wing - with a lot more regularity. He reaped the rewards with that tactic too, as Gasquet struggled to deal with the barrage coming from the Swiss' end of the court.

Federer was also very efficient with his serve, winning 84% of his first-serve points. Overall, he struck 49 winners while committing 26 unforced errors.

Cameron Norrie, meanwhile, breezed past Alex Bolt in 95 minutes. The Brit won 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 to make it to the third round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career.

Norrie, who recently finished as the runner-up at Queen's, played nearly flawless tennis against Bolt after going down 3-0 in the opening set. The 25-year-old committed a mere 10 unforced errors in all, while chalking up 16 winners.

Roger Federer vs Cameron Norrie head-to-head

Roger Federer and Cameron Norrie have never faced each other on tour before, which is why their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Roger Federer vs Cameron Norrie prediction

Cameron Norrie

Roger Federer displayed marked improvement in all aspects of his game against Richard Gasquet. But it can't be denied that the Frenchman is a mere shadow of his former self, and as such he wasn't a true test of Federer's level.

That said, the Swiss fared better on his serve and forehand as the match progressed, which would have given him some confidence.

On Saturday, Cameron Norrie will look to push Roger Federer's baseline game to the limit with his consistent drives off both wings. Federer struggled against Mannarino's lefty serve in the first round, and Norrie will hope for similar success with his slider out wide.

The Brit will be keen to make the home fans proud on Saturday. But while he is more than capable of causing an upset, Federer seems to be regaining his game - and that might tilt the balance towards him ever so slightly.

Prediction: Roger Federer to win in five sets.