A good lefty duel

A special match-up to start the year: between grinder Norrie and aggressor Humbert, we have a clear idea of what to expect

The way this match is shaping up looks pretty straightforward: Humbert will try to hurt his opponent right from the first strikes. From his very first serve he’ll do everything he can to create quick gaps and dictate the play. That’s his strength: taking the ball early and putting his opponents under pressure. Conditions are really good for him, the courts are super fast and with a bit of luck he might get scheduled on center court, which is almost fully covered. Still, watch out for the weather, which is expected to be extreme: very hot and very humid. It’s exactly the kind of match where Humbert can blow up physically. Norrie knows that, and in my opinion his goal will be to make it last as long as possible. But I’ve often seen the Brit struggle physically too when the battle drags on. He’s more resilient than Humbert, but he’s not exactly a reliable guy in that regard, especially since he picked up a bit of an injury during his preparation. We’ll have to see if that was serious or not. Anyway, I remember that last year he started the season out of shape and took a long time to find his rhythm. Humbert says he’s at 100% physically, he’s had a full preparation with quite a few exhibition matches too, so I think he’s arriving a bit more ready. In terms of match-up, let’s say it’s fairly balanced: Norrie doesn’t like being attacked hard, and Ugo doesn’t like it when the ball keeps coming back. The Frenchman can get dragged into a false rhythm, but he can also impose his game and roll through. So which way do we lean?