2024-01-21 13:30:25
Britain’s Cameron Norrie says he will be doing plenty of homework in a bid to finally beat Alexander Zverev and reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Norrie faces the German sixth seed from 05:00 GMT on Monday but has lost all four of their previous meetings.
“I will sit down and watch those matches back and see how I played once morest him,” said the 19th seed.
Norrie has never played in the last 16 in Melbourne before and is the only British player left in the singles.
He beat three-time major finalist Ruud on Saturday in a performance he described as one of his “best at a Slam”helped by aggressive play and a willingness to go to the net.
Norrie also had a poor record once morest Ruud, having lost his three previous meetings with the Norwegian.
But the British men’s number one turned that streak around with the help of a video analysis session with his coach Facundo Lugones.
“I sat down with Facu and watched the matches with Casper back, and we talked a lot regarding what wasn’t working,” Norrie said.
“I think there will be a lot of things in there with Zverev.
“The last few times I have played him it’s kind of been a similar match every time – a tough kind of set and then he’s run away with it.
“I practised with him a couple of times in pre-season, and we played a couple of really competitive practice matches, which was good.
“It’s going to be a tough one but I’m looking forward to it.”
Zverev has returned to the upper echelons of the ATP Tour following recovering from tearing ligaments in his right ankle in June 2022.
However, his progress to the last 16 in Melbourne has not been straightforward.
After fighting back from a set down once morest fellow German Dominik Koepfer in the first round, Zverev needed four-and-a-half hours to beat Slovakian qualifier Lukas Klein in his next match.
The former world number two had a shorter night on Saturday, beating American teenager Alex Michelson in straight sets.
It was also announced on Tuesday that Zverev will face a trial during this year’s French Open over domestic abuse allegations. The 26-year-old denies the charges.
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