Medvedev Faces Norrie in First Round of China Open

Beijing, China — Daniil Medvedev will begin his campaign at the 2025 China Open against Cameron Norrie in the first round on Friday.

Medvedev, the eighth seed, has had a challenging year, failing to secure a title since winning the Rome Masters in 2023. He has reached the finals six times, including at Halle this season, where he lost to Alexander Bublik. This year, he has often exited early, struggling to advance past the third round.

Despite these setbacks, Medvedev has shown promise with semifinal finishes in Marseille and Indian Wells and quarterfinals in Doha, Dubai, Madrid, Libema, and Washington. His statistics underscore his power on serve and return, with 382 aces, a 76% win rate on first-serve points, and a 36% conversion rate on break points.

On the other hand, Norrie’s year has also been inconsistent. He achieved his best result at Roland Garros, reaching the fourth round, and made semifinal appearances in Geneva along with quarterfinal finishes in Delray Beach and Wimbledon. However, he has faced early exits, including two losses to Novak Djokovic.

Statistically, Norrie has hit 240 aces this year, with a 69% first-service win rate and a higher break-point conversion rate of 39% compared to Medvedev’s.

In their previous matchups, Medvedev leads the rivalry 4-1. Their most recent encounter was at the 2025 Roland Garros, where Norrie ended Medvedev’s dominance with a five-set victory.

Experts predict Medvedev as the safer bet due to his head-to-head advantage and baseline stability, but Norrie’s recent upset in Paris demonstrates his potential to challenge the Russian. The match is set to begin at 2:15 AM ET.