Cameron Norrie will be thanking his lucky stars after receiving a slice of good fortune without even playing at the Shanghai Masters.
Norrie was handed a tough draw at the Shanghai Masters, but it’s become a whole lot kinder for a multitude of reasons.
The British No. 2 has enjoyed a decent end to the year following his quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon.
The World No. 33 starred for Great Britain in their Davis Cup tie against Poland in September, having previously reached the third round of the US Open.
At the Shanghai Masters, Norrie has been handed a good piece of fortune that might help his chances in the tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal has massively helped Cameron Norrie
Norrie is a seed at the Shanghai Masters, but that didn’t stop the Brit getting a tough draw at the Chinese tournament.
The British star was placed in the same section of the draw as Carlos Alcaraz, and he would have played him in the third round.
Due to Alcaraz’s withdrawal in the competition, the Brit will now face a much kinder draw if he makes it past the second round.
World No. 38 Corentin Moutet has replaced Alcaraz, a player Norrie has a positive head-to-head record against.
Norrie has beaten Moutet in Lyon and Metz, with his only loss against the Frenchman coming at the Paris Masters in 2022.
Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the tournament is not the only slice of luck the British star has received before playing his first match at the Shanghai Masters either.
Cameron Norrie’s next opponent just played over three hours
Norrie’s second-round match at the Shanghai Masters will be against Frenchman Arthur Cazaux on October 4.
The World No. 70 defeated Pedro Martinez in a mammoth three-set match which tipped over the three hour mark.
Cazaux will get a day off to prepare for Norrie, but the British star should absolutely be the fresher man in their second-round bout.
The pair are yet to meet on the ATP Tour, but the British star is ranked 27 places above his French counterpart.
