US Open 2020: Diego Schwartzman vs Cameron Norrie preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Diego Schwartzman vs Cameron Norrie
Date: 31 August 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 11 am EDT, 8:30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar
Diego Schwartzman vs Cameron Norrie preview
World No. 13 Diego Schwartzman would look to get his US Open campaign off to a strong start in his first-round match against Cameron Norrie at Flushing Meadows on Monday.
Schwartzman, who was inactive during most of the COVID-19 lockdown, made a winning return to the tour at the Cincinnati Masters, winning his opening match against Casper Ruud 7-6, 6-3. But the Argentine couldn't keep up that form, bowing out to Reilly Opelka in straight sets in the very next round.
Schwartzman's 2020 season has been inconsistent so far. He reached the 4th round at the Australian Open and the final in Cordoba but withdrew due to injury in Buenos Aires right before the pandemic struck.
Schwartzman will take on Britain's Cameron Norrie, who is a fairly experienced player himself. The 25-year-old is ranked No. 77 in the world and has been active in the Battle of the Brits exhibition tournament in his home country.
Norrie won four matches on the trot before retiring against Dan Evans. He continued his good form upon the restart of the tour, as he defeated Mikhail Kukushkin and Kamil Majchrzak in qualifying at the Cincinnati Masters before eventually bowing out to Reilly Opelka too.
Diego Schwartzman vs Cameron Norrie head-to-head
The meeting in New York will be the third between the two players on the ATP tour. The head-to-head between Diego Schwartzman and Cameron Norrie currently stands at a stalemate of 1-1.
Their last meeting was in the third round at Acapulco 2019, where Norrie prevailed 7-6, 4-6, 6-3. Before that the two players faced off at Antwerp in 2018, where Schwartzman ground out another exhausting match 7-6, 6-7, 7-5.
Also check out: The complete 2020 US Open Schedule
Diego Schwartzman vs Cameron Norrie prediction
Diego Schwartzman comes in as the favorite owing to his superior ranking. But given their previous history on tour and their similar styles, this match could be closer than expected.
Cameron Norrie will look to use his strong returns to counter Schwartzman's serve, which is perhaps the weakest aspect of the Argentine's game. But Schwartzman would look to overcome that strategy by redirecting the pace and quickly getting back into neutral position.
As is evident by their earlier meetings, we can expect several never-ending baseline rallies and exhausting crosscourt exchanges during the match.
Prediction: Diego Schwartzman to win in four sets.