Preview: Kei Nishikori vs. Cameron Norrie - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

A highly intriguing quarter-final is successful store astatine the Hong Kong Open, arsenic Cameron Norrie and erstwhile satellite fig 4 Kei Nishikori scrap it retired for a spot successful the last four.

Norrie survived a second-set scare against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego to advancement to the past eight, portion his Japanese counterpart stunned Karen Khachanov to instrumentality to the world's apical 100.

Match preview

© Imago

Bidding to consign the wounded woes of 2024 to the past, ex-British fig 1 Norrie ended the past calendar twelvemonth with different runners-up decorativeness to his sanction successful November's Moselle Open, and the existent satellite fig 49 already means concern successful 2025.

After making airy enactment of American imaginable Learner Tien successful his opening Hong Kong bout, Norrie came done a taxing trial against Sonego successful the 2nd round, taking 2 hours and 24 minutes to grounds a 6-2 4-6 6-1 triumph successful a rain-affected encounter.

Shining connected the antiaircraft beforehand against his Italian foe, Norrie posted an eye-catching 72% triumph complaint connected 2nd serves and saved 2 of the 3 interruption points that Sonego managed to fashion, portion besides attacking his opponent's 2nd serves with ferocity.

The 29-year-old won of 16 of 23 second-serve instrumentality points and justifiably claimed afterwards that helium "did not bash overmuch wrong" passim his three-set win, his reward for which is simply a 25th quarter-final connected the ATP Tour.

Another top-level crown is agelong overdue for Norrie, whose 5th and astir caller rubric connected the ATP Tour came each the mode backmost successful February 2023 astatine the Rio Open, and not since February 2022 has the erstwhile British fig 1 taken location a hard-court honour.

© Imago

Norrie's ATP Tour rubric drought pales successful examination to Nishikori's, arsenic the Japanese seasoned is without a top-level singles trophy since aboriginal 2019, but the injury-plagued 35-year-old is acceptable and firing erstwhile again and has taken down 2 revered foes successful Hong Kong truthful far.

After passing the Denis Shapovalov trial with flying colours - dropping conscionable 5 games to the Canadian - Nishikori produced a singular fightback to down 3rd effect Khachanov 4-6 6-3 7-5 with 2 hours and 9 minutes connected the clock.

As was the lawsuit with Norrie against Sonego, Nishikori flaunted his second-serving prowess with 61% of points won down specified attempts, and the upshot of his second-round occurrence is that the 35-year-old is backmost successful the apical 100 for the archetypal clip successful two-and-a-half years.

Nevertheless, the erstwhile US Open finalist was nether nary illusions that luck was connected his broadside astatine times against Khachanov, who was often his ain worst force with 45 unforced errors, but helium credited himself with raising his crippled aft a "shaky" archetypal acceptable versus the 3rd seed.

Should the Nishikori revival proceed with triumph against Norrie, the 35-year-old volition gain himself a semi-final day with either Fabian Marozsan oregon Juncheng Shang, and past - albeit humble past - suggests that the erstwhile satellite fig 4 tin bash precisely that.

Tournament truthful far

Kei Nishikori:

First round: vs. Denis Shapovalov 6-2 6-3
Second round: vs. Karen Khachanov 4-6 6-3 7-5

Cameron Norrie:

First round: vs. Learner Tien 6-3 7-5
Second round: vs. Lorenzo Sonego 6-2 4-6 6-1

Head To Head

Citi Open (2021) - Third round: Nishikori wins 3-6 6-3 6-3
Wimbledon (2019) - Second round: Nishikori wins 6-4 6-4 6-0

Norrie and Nishikori volition beryllium squaring disconnected for the 3rd clip connected the ATP Tour connected Friday, and the second already has 2 wins nether his loop from their erstwhile 2 top-level singles matches.

Wimbledon 2019 was the tract of their inaugural conflict successful 2019, wherever Nishikori sealed a straight-sets triumph implicit Norrie with a bagel, but the Briton gave the 35-year-old a amended tally for his wealth successful Washington a mates of years later.

Norrie clinched the archetypal acceptable implicit Nishikori successful that Citi Open battle, but the Japanese inactive came done successful 3 sets, bringing up 12 interruption points connected the time and converting six of them.

We say: Nishikori to triumph successful 3 sets

As Norrie alluded to, determination was not overmuch to critique astir his antiaircraft oregon violative show against Sonego successful circular two, though helium should expect a overmuch much stern introspection against a revitalised Nishikori.

As the British fig 1 besides concisely took portion successful the doubles tournament, fittingness whitethorn not beryllium connected his side, and we tin envisage Nishikori's resurgence continuing arsenic the Japanese edges into the semis.

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