Beijing, Sep 25 (IANS) Italian Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner made a quick start in his bid to reclaim the China Open trophy, powering past two-time finalist Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2 in the first round even as China’s Zhang Zhizhen lost 6-4, 6-2 to France’s Terence Atmane on the Lotus Court on Thursday.

Competing for the first time since his US Open final defeat to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, with which he also ceded the No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings, Sinner bounced back emphatically. The 24-year-old Italian, who triumphed on his Beijing debut in 2023 and reached last year’s final, saved the only break point he faced upon return to the Chinese ATP 500 event, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Sinner will aim to keep pace in his battle with rival Alcaraz for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours across the remaining months of the season. He trails the Spaniard, who is competing in Tokyo, by 2,590 points in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

Sinner will next face Terence Atmane for the second time in as many months. The French qualifier earlier defeated Zhang Zhizhen for his first tour-level win since his surprise run to the semi-finals in Cincinnati, where he was halted by Sinner in the pair’s first ATP head-to-head clash.

The opening set went on serve for the first nine games before world No. 68 Atmane broke in the 10th with a forehand winner. In the second set, the Frenchman capitalised on Zhang’s double fault to break in the fourth game, added another break in the eighth, and closed out the match in 71 minutes.

Wildcard entrant Zhang, 28, has a career-high ranking of No. 31 and is regarded as China’s most successful male tennis player. However, injuries have hampered his progress this year, keeping him sidelined since the Indian Wells Masters in March and dropping his world ranking to 370.

The Shanghai native made his return at last week’s Hangzhou Open, where he defeated compatriot Bu Yunchaokete in the first round before falling to Dalibor Svrcina of the Czech Republic.

Earlier in the day in the Chinese capital, Alexandre Muller sprang an early upset by rallying past Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 for his first Top 10 win on hard courts and third overall (3-9). He will next play Fabian Marozsan, who ousted Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(1), 6-3 on his Beijing debut.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also booked his spot in the second round with a clinical 6-1, 6-3 victory over Camilo Ugo Carabelli. The Spaniard, who hit 21 winners, including six aces, awaits eighth seed Daniil Medvedev or Cameron Norrie next in Beijing.

–IANS

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