Paris, Oct 29 (IANS) Just four days after he lifted an ATP 500 crown in Vienna, Jannik Sinner, the No. 2 in the ATP Rankings, kick-started his Paris Masters title bid with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 triumph against Zizou Bergs here on Wednesday.

Sinner produced a typically assured all-around performance to overwhelm his Belgian opponent in the pair’s maiden ATP head-to-head meeting and extend his tour-level winning streak on indoor hard courts to 22 matches.

Bergs started his campaign at La Défense Arena by fending off four break points but was still unable to deny Sinner a break of serve in a 12-minute opening game. That was enough to set the Italian on his way to the first set, and another break in the first game of the second set also proved decisive.

The second-seeded Sinner was authoritative behind his own serve throughout the match. He did not face a break point and won 77 per cent (24/31) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to setting a third-round meeting with Francisco Cerundolo. The Argentine earlier overcame Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(4).

With his 88-minute win against Bergs, Sinner kept alive his hopes of capitalising on Carlos Alcaraz’s early Paris loss in the battle for World No. 1: The Italian can return to top spot next Monday if he can lift his first Masters 1000 title of the season.

“I felt like mostly the movement [was good],” said Sinner. “It’s a very unique court here. Usually, I always struggled a bit, so I’m very happy to come through the first match. I’m very happy with how I served today. I was very precise, and I also started with a break straight away, which gives you a bit more confidence. I’m very happy about today’s performance.”

Sinner’s straightforward victory was in stark contrast to the opening match of the day on Court Central. In a rematch of the Shanghai Masters final from earlier this month, Valentin Vacherot again overcame his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in a three-set battle to extend his Masters 1000 winning streak to nine matches.

Vacherot will take on Alcaraz’s conqueror, Cameron Norrie, for a quarterfinal berth in Paris. Daniil Medvedev also advanced on Wednesday after his second-round opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, was forced to withdraw before their match due to a right shoulder injury.

–IANS

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