Shanghai: World number two Jannik Sinner launched his Shanghai Masters title defence in fine form on Saturday, breezing past Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3.
Sinner, fresh from winning the China Open, broke early in both sets to take control and ease himself comfortably into the third round. The 49th-ranked Altmaier’s best chance came in the eighth game of the first set, but he failed to convert a breakpoint twice, allowing the Italian to hold with an ace. The second set provided even less opportunity to seriously bother the 24-year-old Wimbledon champion, but afterwards Sinner said it hadn’t been easy.
“It’s very tough... I did not have a lot of time to adjust here, it’s very different conditions (from Beijing),” said Sinner.
Sinner’s path to retaining the title this year has been made easier by the withdrawal of great rival Carlos Alcaraz, who dropped out at the last minute to rest. The Italian’s next match is on Sunday against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.
Seventh-seeded Alex de Minaur has advanced to the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Camilo Ugo.
De Minaur lost to Jannik Sinner in the China Open semifinals earlier this week, the Australian’s 11th straight loss to the Italian player.
In other early matches on Saturday, Yoshihito Nishioka upset 13th-seeded Andrey Rublev 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 12th-seeded Felix Auger Aliassime beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 6-3 and Kamil Majchrzak defeated Brandon Nakashima, the 29th-seeded American, 6-4, 6-0. Agencies
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