Queen's Club 2022: Cameron Norrie vs Grigor Dimitrov preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Cinch Championships
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Cameron Norrie vs Grigor Dimitrov.
Tournament: Cinch Championships 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: London, United Kingdom.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €2,134,520.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Cameron Norrie vs Grigor Dimitrov preview
Home favorite Cameron Norrie will square off against World No. 21 Grigor Dimitrov in the first round of the 2022 Cinch Championships.
Norrie won his fourth career title at the Lyon Open in the lead-up to Roland Garros. He was unable to make a deep run in Paris though, as he lost in the third round to Karen Khachanov in four sets. He'll now begin his grass season at the Cinch Championships, where he was the runner-up last year after losing to Matteo Berrettini in three sets.
Last year's final remains Norrie's best result on grass so far. His results on the surface otherwise haven't been spectacular, but he has improved a lot over the last year. He made it to the third round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career in 2021.
With the home crowd firmly in his corner, Norrie will look to give them something to cheer about by kicking off his grass season with a win.
What a 2021 #cinchChampionships for @cam_norrie 🔥
Can he go one step further next week? https://t.co/gIHeKtQLW4
Grigor Dimitrov had a decent clay season, reaching the semifinals in Monte Carlo and the third round of the French Open. He's set to make the transition to grass at the Cinch Championships. He won the tournament way back in 2014, defeating Feliciano Lopez in three sets to claim the title.
Dimitrov is also a former Wimbledon semifinalist, making the last four in 2014. Due to an injury, he didn't compete in any warm-up tournaments prior to Wimbledon last year. He won his first-round match against Fernando Verdasco in four sets, but lost in the next round to Alexander Bublik in straight sets.
Cameron Norrie vs Grigor Dimitrov head-to-head
Norrie leads Dimitrov 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their most recent encounter at the 2021 Indian Wells Masters in straight sets.
Cameron Norrie vs Grigor Dimitrov odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Cameron Norrie vs Grigor Dimitrov prediction
With both players playing their first match on grass in nearly a year, we might see a slow start to this encounter. Whoever is quicker to get used to the surface will have a slight edge in this contest.
The Brit has had a much better season compared to his opponent. So far, Norrie has faced little trouble in his matches against Dimitrov, winning both of their clashes in straight sets. The World No. 11 served better than his opponent on both occasions.
During their previous meeting at Indian Wells, he committed 19 unforced errros compared to Dimitrov's 31. But those wins came on hardcourts and given the Bulgarian's pedigree on grass, this match is likely to be much closer.
Norrie's counterpunching abilities have kept Dimitrov on the backfoot in the past. The Brit was able to neutralize his opponent's powerful groundstrokes and ultimately come out on top. However, on a relatively fast surface like grass, Dimitrov's forehand should be able to do plenty of damage.
Norrie has been one of the most consistent players on tour over the last year or so. Despite Dimitrov's past accomplishments on the surface, the Brit should be able to get the better of him once again.
Pick: Cameron Norrie to win in three sets.