Eastbourne 2022: Cameron Norrie vs Brandon Nakashima preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Rothesay International
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Cameron Norrie vs Brandon Nakashima
Date: 22 June 2022.
Tournament: Rothesay International Eastbourne 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Eastbourne, United Kingdom.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €697,405.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Cameron Norrie vs Brandon Nakashima preview
Top seed Cameron Norrie will square off against Brandon Nakashima in the second round of the Eastbourne International on Wednesday.
Cameron Norrie has had a good season so far, with title winning campaigns at the Delray Beach Open and Lyon Open amongst his stand-out performances. The World No. 12 also made the finals of the Mexico Open and lost to 22-time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4.
The Brit will be eager to make amends after his short stint at the Queen's Club Championship, where he was ousted in the first round by Grigor Dimitrov in an absorbing encounter.
Norrie and the Bulgarian went toe-to-toe in the first set, forcing a tiebreak to decide the outcome of an absorbing hour of tennis. The 26-year old raced to a 5-2 lead and looked poised to win the opening set comfortably.
However, a motivated and perseverant Dimitrov clawed back into the match and put up a powerpacked performance in the next two sets to eliminate the third seed 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Brandon Nakashima has played his best tennis of the year so far in the last two weeks. The World No. 54 has won the last five out of six matches on grass and made his second quarterfinal of the year at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships.
The American outfoxed the likes of seventh seed Tommy Paul and Sam Querry en route to the last eight but stumbled against Adrian Mannarino, who wrestled back in the match to secure a comeback win after losing the first set.
However, Nakashima has continued his good form at the Eastbourne International, winning three matches in a row for the first time this season. The American got the better of Sam Querry and Steve Johnson in the qualifiers and dominated wildcard Jay Clarke in the first round 6-1, 6-3. He will be high on confidence to fight for a place in the last eight.
Cameron Norrie vs Brandon Nakashima head-to-head
The head-to-head between Norrie and Nakashima is tied at 1-1. The Brit won their most recent meeting at the 2021 Los Cabos Open in Mexico 6-2, 6-2.
Cameron Norrie vs Brandon Nakashima odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Cameron Norrie vs Brandon Nakashima prediction
Considering Norrie's talent and ability on the tennis court, the Brit's 45 percent win ratio on grass is surprising. The top seed has only played one match this season on the surface and will be looking to get a few matches under his belt ahead of Wimbledon.
Norrie won 77 percent of his first serve points and saved four out of seven break points against Dimitrov. The World No. 11 struggled to finish off rallies after being in a commanding position multiple times during the match. The Brit plays patiently and is adept at moving competitors around the court with his forehand and comes in at the net when the opponent is caught on the backfoot.
Dimitrov, however, pulled off some scintillating passing shots and also exploited the Brit's backhand, windowing Norrie's weaknesses.
Nakashima won 78 percent of his first serve points and saved all the break points he faced against Jay Clarke. The American has a pretty versatile game centered around excellent court speed and footwork. The 20-year old might not be able to generate a lot of power from the baseline, but his fluidity in movement and precision allows him to match up well against any opponent.
The Brit needs to pace his match well and will have to adapt his game and play more aggressively, ideally to finish points quickly. The American has a great chance of winning the encounter but Norrie might just be able to snap his win streak and reach the last eight at Eastbourne.
Pick: Norrie to win in three tight sets.