Acapulco 2022: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Cameron Norrie preview, head-to-head & prediction | Abierto Mexicano Telcel
Match details
Fixture: (3) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs (6) Cameron Norrie.
Date: 25 February 2022.
Tournament: Abierto Mexicano Telcel 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: Acapulco, Mexico.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt.
Prize money: $1,832,890.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Tennis TV.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Cameron Norrie preview
World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas will take on sixth seed Cameron Norrie in the semifinals of the 2022 Abierto Mexicano Telcel on Friday.
Tsitsipas was tested in his first-round match against Laslo Djere in Mexico, winning in two close sets. But since then, he has recorded comfortable wins over his opponents.
He crushed J.J. Wolf 6-1, 6-0 in the second round and defeated Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. The Greek has now advanced to his third semifinal of the season.
He also reached the semifinals in the doubles event alongside Feliciano Lopez after saving five match points against the second-seeded pair of Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal.
Tsitsipas previously reached the last four at the Australian Open, losing to Daniil Medvedev in four sets. He lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets in the Rotterdam Open final after that. The World No. 4 will now be aiming to reach his second final of the year in Mexico.
Stef steps up 💪
@steftsitsipas gets by Marcos Giron 6-3 6-4 to book a semi-final spot in Acapulco for the second straight year.
#AMT2022 https://t.co/qqLaFszSCP
Cameron Norrie's start to the year was absolutely disappointing. He lost all three of his ATP Cup group ties and made a first-round exit from the Australian Open as well.
But the Brit showed some signs of improvement by reaching the quarterfinals of the Rotterdam Open, losing to eventual winner Auger-Aliassime.
RELENTLESS 💯
@cam_norrie rolls past Peter Gojowczyk 6-1 6-0, into his second semi-final at Acapulco.
#AMT2022 https://t.co/AmXbIkWVax
Norrie then competed at the Delray Beach Open, where he won his first title of the year.
In Mexico, he defeated Daniel Altmaier in the opening round. The World No. 12 then battled past John Isner in three sets and thrashed Peter Gojowczyk 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals to record his seventh consecutive win.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Cameron Norrie head-to-head
Tsitsipas leads the head-to-head against Norrie 1-0, having won their solitary meeting in the final of the 2021 Lyon Open 6-3, 6-3.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Cameron Norrie prediction
Both have played quite well in this tournament so far. While Tsitsipas has been consistent throughout this year, Norrie has finally found his form after a shaky start to the season. As such, this is set to be a battle between equals.
Over the last year, the Brit has taken his career to the next level. Norrie's consistent groundstrokes and ability to engage in long rallies to turn points around in his favor are his key strengths. He's quite comfortable at the net too and employs the serve-and-volley tactic from time to time.
Tsitsipas' doubles experience has also made him quite adept at the net. He's a much better server than Norrie and will rely on that shot to give him an advantage. The 23-year-old will need to be sharp on return to capitalize on any missteps made by the Brit on his serve.
While Norrie has made significant improvements to his game, his record against top 10 players is quite dismal. He has won just three of his 23 matches against them so far.
Against Tsitsipas, he'll need to play at this absolute best or he risks losing yet another match to a higher-ranked player.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets.