Bastad 2024: Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Nordea Open
Match Details
Fixture: (PR) Rafael Nadal vs (5) Cameron Norrie
Date: July 18, 2024
Tournament: Nordea Open
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Bastad, Sweden
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €579,320
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | India - Discovery
Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie preview
Rafael Nadal will take on fifth seed Cameron Norrie in the second round of the Nordea Open. The winner of the match will face either fourth seed Mariano Navone or Sumit Nagal in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event.
Nadal endured his worst-ever French Open finish, as he was knocked out in the first round by eventual champion Alexander Zverev. The Spaniard then withdrew from Wimbledon and returned to action at the Nordea Open.
Nadal faced Bjorn Borg's son Leo in the opening round and put in a fine performance to beat him 6-3, 6-4 and enter the second round. The Spaniard served five aces throughout the match and won 32 out of 39 points on his first serve.
Cameron Norrie did not have the best of grass-court seasons, as he suffered opening-round exits at the Queen's Club Championships and the Rothesay International in Eastbourne.
The Brit entered the Wimbledon Championships as the 28th seed and reached the third round before losing to Alexander Zverev. Norrie then entered the Nordea Open and faced Jozek Kovalik in the first round.
He won a tightly-contested opening set via a tiebreak before taking the second set 6-4 to book his place in the second round in Bastad.
Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie head-to-head
Nadal currently leads 4-1 in the head-to-head between the two. Their most recent match came in the round robin of the United Cup, with Norrie winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie odds
All odds sourced from BETMGM. (remaining odds will be updated when available).
Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie prediction
The Spaniard may be the lower-ranked player out of the two but he has a better win percentage on clay than Norrie so far this season. While Nadal has a 60% win record (6-4), the Brit has 53.33% (8-7).
The 38-year-old has said that he is feeling better on court compared to before and we all know what he can do on clay when he is at his best or even not too far from it. Even though Leo Borg was far from the toughest opponent Nadal would have wanted, he will be in good spirits.
Cameron Norrie has not had the best of records on clay so far in 2024 apart from a semifinal finish at the Rio Open. However, the Brit can be a tough opponent to be if he is at his best. He served seven aces in his last fixture and will look to fetch more of those against Nadal.
The Spaniard may not be at his best but he will not be easy to beat if he is fit enough, and given his mindset, there is a good chance he could end up winning the match.
Pick: Nadal to win in straight sets.