Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime impress in ‘intense’ practice match before the Australian Open

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Jannik Sinner has made a promising start in his bid to win a third consecutive Australian Open title…

Just a few days before his first match of the tournament, Sinner took on fellow top-10 star Felix Auger-Aliassime in a practice match.

Sinner grabbed the first set 6-4 before his Canadian rival fought back, winning the second by the same scoreline.

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Then, Sinner won the 10-point tiebreak, 10-4, to finish his Australian Open preparations on a high note.

The Italian was impressed with his performance after the match, sharing his thoughts during an on-court interview with Sam Querrey.

Jannik Sinner says he was feeling ‘really, really good’ during his win over Felix Auger-Aliassime

“Honestly, it doesn’t get any better; it’s the best preparation a player can have,” said Sinner.

“It’s nice to share the court with Felix [Auger-Aliassime], we are good friends, also off the court.

“We have played some great matches, especially at the end of the year, facing each other in Grand Slams and the biggest stages.

Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime’s head-to-head record

“Having this kind of feeling in a practice session, without you, would not be possible, so thanks for coming, thanks for enjoying some tennis.

“Of course, today was a good day, because of the great feedback, we can still work on a couple of things.

“But the general feeling was really, really good today, so let’s see what is coming in the main event.”

Querrey then gave his verdict on the match, suggesting there were positives to take for both Sinner and Auger-Aliassime.

“If you just plopped me out here at 1-1 in the first set, I would have thought it was a real match,” he said.

“It had that intensity, it had what you would look for in a main draw match, it was very exciting.

“You expect a certain level with Jannik [Sinner] that he brings to the court every single time.

“For Felix, he did a great job tonight, taking a set off Jannik. I know it’s practice, but that’s got to make him feel good. He also fended off a ton of break points.

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“I feel like for Felix, anytime he was down break points, the 30-30 points, the deuce points, he was going for his shots, he was confident, so that’s a good sign for him as well.”

Querrey also commented on Sinner’s use of the drop shot, which was working well for him on Rod Laver Arena.

“If that is something that is implemented into his game permanently, he’s going to have a very good chance at three-peating down here,” said Querrey.

Only time will tell how Sinner and Auger-Aliassime will perform at the Australian Open, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

Sinner will play France’s Hugo Gaston in the first round, while Auger-Aliassime takes on Portugal’s Nuno Borges.

Jannik Sinner gives an update on the outfits he will wear at the Australian Open

The world number two was wearing an ‘interesting’ yellow kit for his practice match against Auger-Aliassime.

During their on-court interview, Querrey asked Sinner if he planned to wear the same kit when the tournament starts.

“I don’t know if I can say…” said Sinner.

“Next year, I have a little bit more say on the colors, but I am still very happy to wear these outfits.

“I know there is a big process behind it. I also have a different outfit; this is the day session outfit. I have a night session outfit.

“I hope I can wear both, it means that I will go further in the tournament, but I’m very, very happy.”

Sinner is a Nike athlete and reportedly signed a 10-year deal with the sportswear brand in 2022.