Cameron Norrie set up a first meeting with Jannik Sinner after battling into the fourth round of the Madrid Open.
While Norrie has faced Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic on multiple occasions, he oddly has never previously taken on world number one Sinner.
That will change at the Caja Magica on Tuesday when the British number one will bid to halt Sinner’s 19-match winning streak and make the quarter-finals in Madrid for the first time.
“I’ve never played him, which is crazy,” Norrie told Sky Sports. “I’m excited to play him but every time we practise he rips me up and smokes me.
“He’s really confident, probably the most confident player in tennis right now. I’m going to take it to him, I’m just going to play my game, play the ball in front of me.”
Having survived a near three-hour battle against Tomas Machac in the second round, Norrie managed to see off big-serving Argentinian Thiago Agustin Tirante in straight sets, coming through 7-5 7-6 (5).
“It was tricky,” said Norrie after the contest on the Caja Magica’s third court.
“I hadn’t played in the stadium courts yet, not even in practice, so it was a little bit different returning and it was tough to get the range.
“I had to go back because his serve was kicking so, so much. His first serve is an absolute rocket, as we expected, but I managed to dig deep when I needed to and played well in the big moments, and that was the difference.”
It was a contest of few chances but Norrie converted his third opportunity to break in the 12th game of the opening set with a backhand winner and then clinched his first match point in a nervy second-set tie-break.
Tirante, ranked 75, sent down a serve measured at 149 miles per hour in the sixth game but was unable to create any break points on the Norrie serve.
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