World number one Jannik Sinner made a strong return to action on Saturday with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan in the first round of the Cincinnati Open.
Playing his first match since winning Wimbledon nearly a month ago, the Italian wasted no time. He won the first five games in just 15 minutes and wrapped up the match in 59 minutes, the fastest win of his ATP career.
Sinner, the defending champion, has now stretched his hardcourt winning streak to 22 matches. His last loss on the surface came against Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing last September.
“I didn’t know what to expect today, but it couldn’t have gone better,” Sinner said. “The ball flies a lot here, so you have to serve very precisely. I still have room to improve, but for a first match, I’m happy.”
Galan, ranked 144 and a qualifier, put up brief resistance in the second set by holding serve in a long game, but Sinner quickly regained control with powerful serving and three aces.
Elsewhere, 11th seed Casper Ruud crashed out, losing 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 to France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who impressed in his Cincinnati debut. Eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti was also eliminated, falling 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to Benjamin Bonzi.
Seventh seed Holger Rune beat Roman Safiullin 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) and will next face American Alex Michelsen. Tommy Paul, the 13th seed, also advanced with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Spain’s Pedro Martinez.
On the women’s side, world number three Iga Swiatek opened her campaign with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Russia’s Anastasia Potapova. The Wimbledon champion, who has never reached the final in Cincinnati, looked sharp and needed just 74 minutes to seal the win.
“The first match is always tricky, but I was solid in the key moments,” Swiatek said. “Now I get another chance to play and improve here.”
