Cameron Norrie heads a depleted and slightly downbeat British men’s field at Wimbledon needing an upturn in form if he is to emulate last year’s run to the semi-finals.
The British number one, 27, could only make it to the last eight at Queen’s Club and is managing a knee issue.
But Norrie believes the grand slam format is better suited to him as he bids for another run deep in the tournament.
Dan Evans is not looking forward to SW19 (John Walton/PA)
“I think it’s definitely a different match, playing best-of-five,” he said.
“I really think it should suit me better, and I really have been more experienced over the years now playing best-of-five-set matches against some of the other players.
“Usually as the match goes on and on and I get my teeth into the match, it usually works in my favour, especially with the way I play and the way my game style is.
“I think over time I can break guys down physically and just putting the ball in awkward situations, so I think the longer I stay out there, the better it is for me most of the time. So I’m really excited to get going.”
Jack Draper and Kyle Edmund will miss SW19 through injury, while British number two Dan Evans is not exactly positive about his prospects.
Evans, knocked out in the first round at Queen’s and on a run of six defeats from seven matches, said: “I’m not looking forward to playing any tennis at the minute.
“It’s tough. When you feel no confidence, it’s not a good spot to be in and it’s a difficult spot.
“You know, I’d love to say I’m looking forward to playing my next match but I’m not. That’s the honest truth for you.”
Andy Murray won back-to-back grass titles in Surbiton and Nottingham but his bid to be seeded at Wimbledon fell short – barring a host of withdrawals – after also falling in the first round at Queen’s.
Andy Murray is not seeded for Wimbledon but is playing some great tennis (Adam Davy/PA)
Nevertheless, the two-time champion said: “Obviously on grass there are less players that are probably comfortable on the surface than the clay and the hard courts.
“Some of the seeded players are maybe not that comfortable on the grass, so there’s some draws that are better than others. There are also guys that are not seeded but love the grass courts and it’s their favourite surface.”
There are also wild cards for Britain’s Liam Broady, Jan Choinski, Arthur Fery, George Loffhagen and Ryan Peniston.
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