The 2024 tennis season will officially get underway on Friday in Australia, where group-stage competition at the United Cup is set to begin. A matchup between Alex de Minaur and Cameron Norrie headlines the Australia vs. Great Britain tie.
Alex de Minaur (AUS) vs. Cameron Norrie (GBR)
De Minaur and Norrie will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers and for the second time at the United Cup when Australia and Great Britain clash in Group C on Friday night in Perth. Norrie beat De Minaur at this event last season, but the Aussie leads the head-to-head series 2-1 thanks to victories on the red clay of Barcelona in 2022 (6-3, 5-7, 6-1) and this past summer in Toronto (7-5, 6-4).
Norrie’s 2023 win over De Minaur headlined a red-hot first two months for the British left-hander, but the last eight months were a much different story. Norrie plunged to 18th in the rankings and did not win multiple matches at any of his final five tournaments.
De Minaur, on the other hand, parlayed his opening-round defeat of Norrie into a runner-up performance at the Toronto Masters and from there the world No. 12 did not look back. He reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open and helped Australia advance to a second consecutive Davis Cup final (lost to Italy).
“I think I’m coming off my best season and a year where I felt like a couple of things have clicked and I have been able to accomplish a lot of what I set my mind out to,” De Minaur explained. “But saying that, as well, I’m pretty close to breaking into that Top 10. It is a goal of mine. It’s not going to come easy. I’m doing all the right things. Hopefully a good Australian summer can put the right step into the right direction and hopefully I can accomplish that.”
De Minaur is confident and always loves playing for his country, so look for him to avenge his previous United Cup loss to Norrie.
Pick: De Minaur in 3
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