Thursday 25th July, London: The summer heat reached a boiling point today at the historic Hurlingham Club as the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic delivered an exceptional afternoon of world-class grass-court tennis.

A stylish crowd watched the world’s elite battle another sweltering London afternoon just days before Wimbledon kicks off. Opening Thursday’s play, Norway’s multi-Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud went head-to-head with American powerhouse Ben Shelton. Both men turned up the intensity, but ultimately Shelton’s trademark grass-court power secured him a 6-3, 6-4 victory, to the delight of the packed grandstands.

Speaking on his win, Shelton said: “I'm so happy to be back. Thank you guys for coming out. I enjoyed playing out on this court last year, and then this year with the players that come, the support is unbelievable, and this is standard for Wimbledon. So, yeah, I'm honored to be out here on this court and looking forward to, you know, a great week.”

Speaking on the chances of an American player winning a grand slam Shelton said: “I don’t know when that is going to be…I know we have a lot of talent – we’re good on grass courts, we’re good on hard courts, we’re getting better on clay – we’re definitely a threat, so hopefully we can do it, and in this second half of the season. ”

When asked if he has a goal in mind for Wimbledon, Rudd said: “I’ve never made it past the second round, so we can start with that, I assume. Anything further than that will be a success. I mean, it’s such a hectic clay court season for me, as I've said many times before. For me to go straight out after Roland Garros to play a lead-up event and then everything else that is remaining... [taking time off] is just a way for me to get a little breathing room, a bit of time off to clear my head and refocus on this tournament, of course, and then the rest of the year.”

When asked what sort of adjustments he has tried to make Ruud said: “The adjustment for me when I switch from clay to a grass court is that they are two distinct worlds. You know, with clay, I’ve been standing five meters behind the baseline, playing heavy top-spin balls as much as I can, and that’s just not doable on this surface. You’re punished, and you easily get put away playing like that. So everything I’ve learned over the course of my career, I kind of have to try to think the opposite for these weeks on grass.”

Next, home favourite Cameron Norrie returned to the Hurlingham turf for his second outing of the tournament, playing a match against Czech star Jiří Lehečka. Whilst Norrie had a strong home backing, Lehečka's flat, heavy striking from the back of the court tested his defences and secured him a win 7-6(5), 6-3.

Speaking about his match against Sinner yesterday, Norrie said: “My body is feeling good, I'm healthy again, and I'm feeling the ball really well. Today was a great match to see where my level was at. Jannik is such a complete player; he gives you absolutely nothing and serves really well, which was tough for my first time playing him on grass.

I would have liked to test him more physically, especially on such a hot day, and try to get into some longer rallies, but he didn’t really allow for that. I didn’t execute quite as well as I would have liked and was missing too early, but credit to him - he did nothing wrong as per usual. I’ve got some really good reps in these last few days and it was a great, enjoyable match to have ahead of Wimbledon.”

Attendees will have exclusive access to the pristine grounds of The Hurlingham Club, two ATP singles matches featuring top ranked players, as well as legends doubles matches. Guests will also be treated to complimentary Whispering Angel rosé and other wines, cocktails, beers, and soft drinks from the comfort of a reserved grandstand seat.

For those unable to get tickets, fans can watch all matches on the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic website and the TennisOne App.