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Cameron Norrie vs Jozef Kovalik: ATP Bastad – First round
The second-highest-ranked British player Camron Norrie will face Jozef Kovalik from Slovakia in the first round of the ATP Bastad.
Cameron Norrie Profile
Cameron Norrie is currently 42nd in the rankings and his career high was No. 8. The Brit is 17-15 for the season and 7-7 on clay.
He is coming off a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 loss to Alexander Zverev in the third round of Wimbledon. Earlier in the tournament, Norrie defeated Jack Draper and Facundo Diaz Acosta.
His best result of the season was the semifinal in Rio de Janeiro where he lost to Mariano Navone.
This will be his first appearance in Bastad.
Jozef Kovalik Profile
Jozef Kovalik is 102nd in the ATP rankings, and his career high was No. 80. The Slovak is 35-16 for the season and 32-11 on clay.
Kovalik is coming off a 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 loss to Lucas Klein in the opening round of the Challegner in Braunschweig.
The week before, he won the Challenger in Karlsrue, defeating Ugo Carabelli 6-3, 7-6 in the final. Earlier in the season, Kovalik also won the Challengers in Mauthausen and Split.
This is his third appearance in Bastad, and last year he reached the round of 16.
Head-to-Head Kovalik leads 1-0
- Kovalik vs Norrie 6-4, 6-4 (2014 Futures)
Prediction and Conclusion
This will be the second match between these two players after they met a decade ago on the futures circuit. Norrie has had a way better career since then, but that doesn’t guarantee him anything in this match. Norrie had a solid performance at Wimbledon, reaching the third round and putting on a fight against Alexander Zverev. Kovalik was not active on grass; instead, he kept playing on the Challenger Tour on clay. That is a huge advantage for him going into this match, and he will take advantage of the opportunity and win this match.
