Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs Cameron Norrie Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Rio Open

Prediction published on 25/02/2023, 04:45  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 26/02/2023 at 15:49 in Tennis Predictions

Second seed Cameron Norrie and world number 63 Bernabe Zapata will for the first time in their careers come up against each other when they do battle in the semifinal of the Rio Open on Saturday. The winner here will advance to the final to face off with either top seed Carlos Alcaraz or the qualifier Nicolas Jarry. Zapata is appearing in his second successive semifinal and in so doing has moved up to 42nd in the live ranking which is his highest-ever placing in the ATP. This has also allowed him to become Spain’s number-one ranked player. A win over Norrie will send him further up to 35th in the world. Zapata defeated compatriots Jaume Munar and Albert Vinolas (seventh seed) as well as fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo on his way to the last four. He won in straight sets against Munar but was forced to a decider against Cerundolo and Vinolas.

Just like Zapata, Cameron Norrie is also in his second successive semifinal but unlike the Spaniard, Norrie won his semifinal in Buenos Aires and advanced to his first final there where he, unfortunately, lost to Carlos Alcaraz. He and Alcaraz can square it off again in the final in Rio and Norrie would want that so as to exercise his revenge. The Brit has won two of his three matches in Brazil by straight sets and his only dropped set came in the quarterfinals where he was forced to come back from a losing position by Hugo Dellien. The world number 13 has won his two finals played so far in the season (Auckland and Buenos Aires) and is again the favourite to progress here.