Michel sows...
The American is in good shape, that's something at least!
Yes, because with Norrie, you never really know ;).
But let's go back to Michelsen for 10 seconds. He says something very interesting in an interview: when he's feeling good, he plays aggressively. When he's not feeling good, his aggression has little impact and he has to play much more defensively. But since Indian Wells, he's been firing. His match against Fritz in the wind was good Michelsen. And here against Bellucci, he was making the difference by being aggressive too. The guy even said, "I'm gutted, I could’ve gotten the double break much earlier" (lol).
On Norrie's side, you immediately think about the conditions, which are much less favorable to him than in Indian Wells: lower bounce, humidity, and a faster court. His game can bother a lot of players, including Michelsen of course. But the American has a good backhand and cuts off the trajectories well. He’s just beaten another lefty, even if the level will be higher here with Norrie.
All that is reassuring on the American’s side then. Because when you look a bit at their two meetings last year, a lot came down to who handled the important points better. With his run in Indian Wells, Norrie will surely be in a good headspace too. But the conditions, Michelsen’s match already in his legs, and his current confidence naturally make Michelsen the favorite. To the point of backing him?
