Preview: Wimbledon: Mattia Bellucci vs. Cameron Norrie - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Fresh off upset second-round wins over seeded opponents, Mattia Bellucci and Cameron Norrie clash in Friday’s third-round match at Wimbledon, both seeking a last-16 spot.    

The Italian upset in-form Jiri Lehecka to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, while Norrie secured a comeback four-set win over No. 12 seed Frances Tiafoe to set up a first ATP Tour match against his next opponent.

Match preview

Bellucci is playing with nothing to lose now, having upset 23rd seed and Queen’s finalist Jiri Lehecka in straight sets on Wednesday, claiming a 7-6(4), 6-1, 7-5 victory against the Czech star.    

The win saw the confident Italian convert all four break chances created over the two-hour seven-minute match to progress to a third round at the Championships in only his second main-draw appearance.    

Having failed to qualify at the Australian Open and exiting in the first round at Roland Garros, the 24-year-old has secured two wins at a major for the first time, surpassing last year's run at the US Open, where he lost in the second round.    

The world No. 73's run at Wimbledon has seen him hit nine tour-level wins in 2025 before his maiden third-round appearance at a major, improving his record to 2-1 at the Championships.    

Still shy of double figures for wins this season, the entertaining Italian aims to beat the former Wimbledon semi-finalist in Friday's clash of the left-handers.

Norrie played decent-to-good tennis in the opening set of his second-round match with Tiafoe, but that was not enough as he fell behind.    

Nonetheless, the 29-year-old responded with stunningly good tennis to upset the No. 12 seed and reach round three at SW19 for the fourth time.    

Having lost in 2021 and 2024 to Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev, the former world No. 8 will hope to benefit from playing Friday's opponent after previous tough draws.    

The only time the erstwhile British No. 1 faced an easier third-round draw, he beat Steve Johnson on his way to his first and only Grand Slam semi-final on home soil, where he ultimately lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets.    

While the five-time titlist cannot look too far ahead, this year's Championships have already seen several seeds eliminated early, leaving room for another deep run at Wimbledon, where he now holds a record of 13-7 overall.  

Tournament so far

Mattia Bellucci:  

First round: vs. Oliver Crawford 6-7[2] 6-3 6-4 6-4  

Second round: vs. Jiri Lehecka 7-6[4] 6-1 7-5  

Cameron Norrie:  

First round: vs. Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 3-6 6-4 7-6[3]  

Second round: vs. Frances Tiafoe 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-5

Head To Head

Bellucci and Norrie face off for the first time on the ATP Tour, with the winner to take a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head.    

Entering Wimbledon this year at 7-10 and 16-15 at tour-level, the Italian has added two wins to that tally and could reach double figures in victories, while the former top-10 player aims for a 19th success at the expense of the first-time third-round participant.  

We say: Norrie to win in four sets

Although neither Bellucci nor Norrie were expected to reach the third round, both players hope to capitalise on several seeds falling away to possibly go further at SW19.    

While some observers might cautiously forecast Friday’s clash of the lefties, Norrie’s greater Grand Slam experience and the support of the home crowd should assist the former top-10 player, who is favoured to reach the fourth round at the Championships for the first time in three years.

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