Jannik Sinner warmed up for Wimbledon with a straight sets win over Cameron Norrie at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic in London on Wednesday.
The Italian headline proceedings at the Hurlingham Club, which stages an annual exhibition event in the week leading up to the Grand Slam. Sinner eased his way to a 6-3, 6-3 win over British No.1 Norrie in the blistering heat with the temperature in the mid-30s. It is the first time he has played at the venue after deciding not to play any Tour-level events on grass leading up to Wimbledon.
“It was great,” Sinner said afterwards during his on-court interview.
“It’s a big pleasure to play here. A new scenario for me because I’ve never been here.
“These kinds of exhibition matches are good because we try out a couple of things, and hopefully be as good as we can then for the next week.”
24-year-old Sinner is hoping to get back on track after a disastrous French Open, where he suffered a shock second round defeat. In Paris, he led Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 before suffering from severe cramping and ended up losing in five sets. He was also playing in hot conditions at the time and told the trainer at one stage he felt dizzy and sick.
Eager to prove he is back to full fitness after recently undergoing a medical check-up, Sinner is encouraged about his preparation on the grass so far.
“I’ve been on grass now nearly a week, so every day counts,” he explained.
“It’s very, very important to get used to the conditions. Here (at the Hurlingham Club) it is slightly faster than the courts there (at Wimbledon), but still, it’s better this way.
“You need to react a little bit faster.
“We still have some important practice sessions coming up.”
It still remains to be seen how the four-time major champion will fare in best-of-five matches at Wimbledon. Sinner has reached the quarter-finals or better at SW19 in his last four appearances. He is the only player from his country to have won a singles title at the event.
”Seeing my name next to all these incredible names (list of Wimbledon champions) means a lot to me,” he said.
“Definitely a dream come true, but at the same time, it’s a new tournament.
“It is, for me, the most special tournament we have throughout the whole year because the grass season is so short. We play in such a historical court and club.
“I’m looking forward to it and then we see how it goes.”
Sinner has already won five Masters 1000 tournaments this year, but his last Grand Slam triumph was at Wimbledon 12 months ago.
