Norrie reaches first final of year in Metz, next meets Bonzi
Cameron Norrie overcame a topsy-turvy and entertaining semi-final battle against Corentin Moutet on Friday to reach the Moselle Open title match.
In a clash between two lefties, the Frenchman Moutet pleaded his home crowd for support and produced superb shotmaking — even serving underarm on several occasions — but it was not enough to stop Norrie from a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory.
The Briton trailed 2/5 in the second-set tie-break before tallying five consecutive points to close the one-hour, 32-minute match, booking a place in his first tour-level final since winning the 2023 Rio de Janeiro crown.
“It’s been a difficult year for me and I was never able to gain any momentum, so it’s nice to finish the last week of the year playing in the final,” said Norrie, who won 75 per cent of his second-serve points, compared to Moutet’s 43 per cent, according to Infosys ATP Stats. “I was just back to competing every point. It’s nice to get my first indoor final as well.”
[ATP APP]Following his win, Norrie improved to 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Moutet, with all three of their matches coming in France.
“He’s honestly one of my favourite players to watch,” Norrie said of Moutet. “The way he moves is incredible and his hands are just another level. I knew it was going to be tough.”
Norrie, who dealt with a forearm injury in the middle of the season, is up to No. 50 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
The 29-year-old will next meet another Frenchman: Benjamin Bonzi. The qualifier, aiming for his first tour-level trophy, converted his fifth match point to down #NextGenATP Alex Michelsen 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.
Bonzi failed to serve out the match at 5-3 in the decider, but held his nerve to reach his third tour-level final. The 28-year-old has won 20 of his past 21 matches across all levels, including two ATP Challenger Tour titles on home soil. Following his semi-final win, Bonzi is set to return to the Top 100 for the first time since January.
Michelsen, seeded eighth, called a medical timeout midway through the second set, seemingly due to an abdominal injury. The American struggled physically as the match wore on, often reducing the pace behind his delivery and even resorting to underarm serves.
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