Barcelona Open 2023: Norrie vs Musetti Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Barcelona Open round of 16 match featuring Cameron Norrie vs Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Norrie vs Musetti Match Preview and Prediction

Two-time quarterfinalist Cameron Norrie will look to make it 10 wins on clay this campaign. But will he faces a banana peel against resurgent Lorenzo Musetti. Who will prevail and reach the quarterfinal of the Barcelona Open?

Cameron Norrie ended his three-match losing streak with a routine 6-2, 6-1 win over Russian qualifier Pavel Kotov. It was inarguably his most complete performance this term, where he took four of his nine break points and never relinquished his serve. He improves to 9-2 for the season on clay and will attempt to make it into double-digits when he battles Lorenzo Musetti for a spot in the quarterfinal of the Barcelona Open.

Lorenzo Musetti, meanwhile, returned to winning ways with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Australia’s Jason Kubler. Musetti built on his recent momentum from Monte Carlo where he stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to reach his third quarterfinal of the year. He raced to a 5-0 in the first set with a double break. Kubler tried to salvage the situation but it was all too late as Musetti’s prowess on the surface meant the Aussie played second fiddle for the whole afternoon. Once he won the first set 6-3, Musetti went on to break Kubler three more times in the second set to bag the win. Can he reach the last eight at the Barcelona Open for the first time at the expense of Cameron Norrie?

Norrie vs Musetti Prediction and Pick

Cameron Norrie and Lorenzo Musetti have not played each other on the ATP Tour, with this round-of-16 match at the Barcelona Open being their first meeting. Obviously, the formbook favors Musetti who arrived in Barcelona hot on the heels of an awesome run in Monte Carlo which saw him defeat Djokovic. However, Musetti’s recent record against lefties is not great, with just one win in six matches. And Norrie has a brutal topspin forehand that works like a charm on this court. Both players came away with dominant performances in the second round, which makes it a tougher call. We’re siding with Norrie here but could go either way.