US Open 2021: Cameron Norrie vs Carlos Alcaraz preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (26) Cameron Norrie vs Carlos Alcaraz
Date: 30 August 2021
Tournament: 2021 US Open
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Match timing: Approx. 5 pm local time, 9 pm GMT, 2.30 am IST (Tuesday)
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN/ESPN 2 | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Cameron Norrie vs Carlos Alcaraz preview
Cameron Norrie will open his 2021 US Open campaign against talented Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz in the first round on Monday. Norrie will be making his fifth main-draw appearance at the New York Slam, while for Alcaraz this is the debut edition.
Norrie is coming into the US Open with a 37-18 win-loss record for 2021. This has been the best season of the Brit's career so far, in which he has made five tour-level finals.
Even more impressively, Norrie has made finals on all three surfaces, showcasing his versatility. He also won his maiden ATP title in Los Cabos last month.
The 26-year-old has struggled since that breakthrough run, losing four of his last six matches. That said, Norrie's defeats have come against the likes of John Isner, Kei Nishikori and Karen Khachanov, all of whom are strong hardcourters.
Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, comes into the US Open on the back of a remarkable performance at the Winston-Salem Open. Alcaraz finished as a semifinalist there, losing to Mikael Ymer in the last four on Friday.
Hardcourt is not his strongest surface, but the Spaniard still managed to defeat Marton Fucsovics, Marcos Giron and Alexei Popyrin in the American city. He would have to show the same kind of consistency if he hopes to get the better of someone as resilient as Norrie in the best-of-five format.
Cameron Norrie vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head
Cameron Norrie and Carlos Alcaraz have never faced each other on tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Cameron Norrie vs Carlos Alcaraz prediction
Carlos Alcaraz is widely expected to be a superstar in the future. His game is quite well-rounded for his age, but it is his heavy forehand that stands out the most.
The teenager is also extremely athletic, and he can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone on the tour.
That said, Cameron Norrie is a tactically astute player. He knows how to extend rallies and when to change things up, and his wide lefty serve also causes plenty of problems to his opponents.
The 26-year-old's forehand is quite underpowered when compared to Alcaraz's, but he more than makes up for that with his pintpoint accuracy. Alcaraz, his part, tends to spray a few errors when put under pressure, and that could prove to be his undoing against Norrie on Monday.
Prediction: Cameron Norrie to win in four sets.