Rome, May 10 (IANS) World No. 1 Jannik Sinner started strong in his quest for a historic Career Golden Masters after defeating Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Italian Open on Saturday.

The Italian player, who came to Rome after making history in Madrid by becoming the first to win five consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles, continued his impressive run on home soil. Sinner’s recent wins in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid have put him just one title away from completing the Career Golden Masters, winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. Novak Djokovic is the only player to achieve this feat since the series began in 1990.

Supported by an enthusiastic home crowd, Sinner dominated Ofner with his usual baseline consistency and precise ball-striking. The 24-year-old made only five unforced errors in the first set and carried that momentum into the second. He produced a delicate drop shot early on to break serve and take complete control of the match.

“It is an amazing feel to be back,” Sinner said after the win.

“The first match, the most important thing is not to lose. The level will improve day by day. I am very happy to be here. Since day one, this has been a very special tournament for me. Every year when you come here, you reflect a bit about the year, being Italian. A lot can change in a year. I am happy to be here.”

The victory, which took one hour and 31 minutes, extended Sinner’s ATP Masters 1000 winning streak to 29 matches, tying him with Roger Federer for the third-longest streak in the series.

Sinner, who reached the final in Rome last year, now aims to be the first Italian man to win the tournament since Adriano Panatta took the title in 1976.

Next up for the top seed is Alexei Popyrin, who overcame Jakub Mensik 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in a two-hour, 11-minute match to secure his place in the third round.

Interestingly, Ofner and Sinner had faced each other at Challenger level in Italy back in 2019, when a teenage Sinner also won, with a score of 6-2, 6-4 in Ortisei.

–IANS

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