Roland Garros 2021: Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (3) Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie
Date: 5 June 2021
Tournament: Roland Garros 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red Clay
Prize money: €17,171,108
Match timing: Approx. 4 pm local time, 2 pm GMT, 10 am EST, 7.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie preview
Rafael Nadal will continue his bid for a record-extending 14th crown at Roland Garros when he takes on Britain's Cameron Norrie in the third round on Saturday.
The Spaniard has enjoyed an excellent clay season, winning titles in Barcelona and Rome. He has carried that form into Paris.
Nadal kicked off his Roland Garros campaign with a straight-sets win over Alexei Popyrin. He then swept aside local favorite Richard Gasquet 6-0, 7-5, 6-2 to set up a third-round encounter with Norrie.
Norrie came to Roland Garros on the back of a few solid outings during the claycourt swing. The Brit began with a quarterfinal showing in Barcelona, which was followed by a run to the final in both Estoril and Lyon.
The 25-year-old has already picked up wins over the likes of David Goffin, Cristian Garin, Karen Khachanov and Dominic Thiem on the surface this year. His exploits have once again lifted him into the top 50 of the ATP rankings.
Norrie has come through a couple of tricky encounters in Paris already. The Brit was tested by qualifier Bjorn Fratengelo in the first round and then dropped the opening set of his second-round clash with Lloyd Harris before bouncing back to seal a four-set victory.
Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie head-to-head
The third-round encounter at Roland Garros will be the third match between Rafael Nadal and Cameron Norrie, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 2-0.
Both previous meetings have come in 2021, with Nadal prevailing in straight sets on both occasions.
Rafael Nadal vs Cameron Norrie prediction
It goes without saying that Rafael Nadal is the overwhelming favorite to win the match on Saturday. The Spaniard has gone from strength to strength on clay this year and his groundstrokes seem to be firing on all cylinders in Paris.
However, Nadal was slightly wasteful in his second-round match against Gasquet, converting just seven out of 16 breakpoint chances. The Spaniard also suffered a visible dip in form in the second set after claiming the opener in dominant fashion. He will look to iron out these chinks in his armor before entering the second week of the Slam.
Cameron Norrie, meanwhile, simply does not possess the weapons to trouble Nadal. The Brit is solid off both wings but lacks the power or finesse to keep Nadal on his toes. Given Nadal's form and history at Roland Garros, it would take nothing short of a miracle for Norrie to pull off an upset.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.
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