Jannik Sinner sweeps aside British number one at Madrid Open

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Reflecting on the match, Sinner told Sky Sports: We know each other quite well, we practised a lot in the last tournaments, so we both kind of knew what to expect.I felt like I was serving quite well today in the important moments.This surface is very, very different than all the other surfaces so it's very tough to get the right feedback and sometimes you feel like you're not playing your best.But I'm very happy to be here in the quarters again. It's a tournament I haven't played a lot, so it means a lot to me.LATEST SPORTS NEWSMohamed Salah ruled out for rest of the season with Liverpool career now overJohn Stones to leave Manchester City at end of season after 10 years at clubLIV Golf to postpone upcoming event amid speculation of Saudi funding being pulledThe Briton fought hard to trouble the dominant Italian, though opportunities to land meaningful blows came only sporadically.Norrie even tried an underarm serve to upset his rhythm, which appeared to work momentarily when Sinner suffered his sole wobble of the afternoon, losing his serve to love in the following game.The British number one drew level at 5-5 in the second set, but surrendered his serve once more, handing Sinner the crucial break that would seal the match.Despite the defeat, there is considerable consolation for Norrie, who finds himself on the verge of re-entering the world's top 20 when the rankings update next week.For Sinner, the victory keeps alive his pursuit of tennis history as he bids to become the first player to claim five Masters 1000 titles in succession.The 23-year-old has acknowledged that Madrid's unique conditions do not suit his game ideally, yet his superiority over the rest of the field means he rarely needs to produce his finest tennis to progress.The world number one used his post-match platform to call for organisers to reconsider the tournament's scheduling arrangements.Night sessions at the Madrid venue do not commence until 8pm, meaning players can find themselves stepping onto court close to midnight.Sinner highlighted the toll this takes, saying: For our body and mind, going on court at 11pm and you play at midnight, past midnight, it's not easy. He pointed to the example of Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, who could be his next opponent, finishing his third-round match at approximately 1am on Monday.The Italian added that post-match obligations, including press conferences, recovery sessions, meals and treatment, mean players often cannot sleep until 4am or 5am, saying: It messes up the whole day. So I think we can do better, definitely.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter