Clash of styles and a test of resilience!

The Italian seems to be getting his bite back, but the Brit is still a real menace when he settles into his rhythm — a match that has tie-break written all over it.

So I’ll say it right away, I’m not going to agree too much with my friend Marcos! He’s already posted a 1u bet on Norrie @2.25, I think, and I’m more on Matteo’s side here—or rather, I wouldn’t put my trust in Norrie in this match-up.

It’s true the Italian has been in a bit of a rough patch lately, but I think I can spot signs he’s ramping up, and I believe this is a match-up that suits him. Norrie is never as strong as when he can weave his web from the baseline and impose his rhythm—except that’s clearly something the Italian won’t let him do. The question is whether he’ll manage it, but one thing’s for sure: he’ll, as always, impose his style with his big serve and forehand. I thought he looked pretty good against a frankly mediocre Popyrin, and above all I had the impression we were seeing the very combative, eager Matteo again—something I didn’t see at all against Humbert in Stockholm, for example, where he quickly looked resigned. As for Norrie, he benefited from a Rublev in freefall, torn between the desire to be aggressive while staying solid—the perfect spot for the Brit. All that to say I make Matteo a fairly logical favorite here, and I see him, as in their two previous meetings, imposing his game on Norrie.

That said, there’s no value on the Italian at this price (let’s not exaggerate!), so I’m going to look for an alternative bet!