With a Grand Slam just a few days away, we have a rare Saturday final on the ATP Tour, between Slovakian #1 Alex Molcan and British #1 Cameron Norrie. Who will take home the Lyon title?
ATP Lyon Final Prediction
Alex Molcan vs Cameron Norrie
Head-to-head: 0-0
Alex Molcan has been close to an ATP title two times before, losing in Belgrade last year to World #1 Novak Djokovic and then in a final set just a few months ago to David Goffin in Marrakesh. If he’s going to take home his maiden title it’s not going to be easy though with the world #11 Cameron Norrie in his way.
Whilst Molcan has impressed here and there over the past 12 months which has brought him inside the world’s top 50, there’s still one major problem, his consistency. Good weeks are often backed up with a few poor weeks with losses that arguably shouldn’t be happening. With the appointment of Novak Djokovic’s former coach, Marian Vajda, it will be interesting to see if the Slovakian can become more dominant and consistent.
But so far this week on his best surface the 24-year-old has more or less had it very easy with great straight set wins against world #21 Alex Di Minaur and #24 Karen Khachanov as well as Federico Coria and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who will be ending his career next week in Paris. It’s fair to say Molcan might just be playing the best tennis of his career in Lyon.
On the other side of the net, Cameron Norrie is doing what Cameron Norrie does best. He doesn’t go out and win matches but rather he never goes out and loses matches, the main reason for his stunning Indian Wells title win last year as well as breaking the world’s top 10 just a few weeks ago for the first time.
Whilst the Brit’s best results have come on hard courts, game wise clay really should be the surface where the Brit excels on with his grinding and counter-punching playstyle as well as consistency breaks down opponents.
This is one reason I favor the 26-year-old in this matchup. Whilst Molcan is in great form and is able to hit through many players on tour, whether he can do it constantly enough against one of the most consistent players off the ground is another matter entirely. Whilst he did it against De Minaur in the last round, Norrie right now is a better version of the Australian with also far more confidence in his sails given the year he’s having.
There’s no doubt the Slovakian could come out on court and blow the Brit away, but it’s a little hard to see happening. I expect Norrie to grind and break down Molcan enough, and especially on big points, to get title #4 and stop the youngster from his maiden title.
Prediction: Norrie in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
