Cameron Norrie vs Sebastian Korda Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Australian Open

Prediction published on 16/01/2022, 08:03  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 16/01/2022 at 12:39 in Tennis Predictions

Cameron Norrie is the number 12 seed and takes on world number 40 Sebastian Korda. The British number one had a successful 2021 winning two titles, including Indian Wells. He was ranked 71st this time last year but steadily made his way up the rankings with four other finals reached. However, one target for this year will be to improve his performances in Grand Slam events. He has never made it past the third round of one so far. Norrie did that in the first three Grand Slam events of 2021 but then lost in the first round of the US Open. He's only played one tournament this year, playing for Great Britain at the ATP Cup. That wasn't the best of weeks for him with three losses to Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev and only winning one set. He's only played Korda once and that was at Delray Beach right at the start of 2021, losing in straight sets.

Sebastian Korda also made good progress in the rankings last year. In January he was 119th but ended the year 79 places higher than that. Korda won an outdoor clay court tournament in Parma last year. 2021 ended with him losing in the final of the Next Gen final.  Like Norrie, he hasn't got a great record in Grand Slam events. His best performance is the fourth round at the French Open in 2020 and Wimbledon last year. Three of his last four Grand Slam tournaments have seen him lose in the first round. He won the junior Australian Open title three years ago and he's hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father Peter Korda, who won this event in 1998. This is his first time in the main draw of the Australian Open and he hasn't played any of the warm-up tournaments. Norrie could have had an easier draw but can get the win here, though possibly having to go to four sets to do so.