ROME: Jannik Sinner got his Italian Open campaign underway on Saturday by swatting aside Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4 to start his bid to extend a record-breaking run of five straight Masters 1000 tournament victories.
The world number one delighted fans in the packed centre court stands with a predictably dominant display which left Austria’s Ofner little room to breathe, even in the breezy atmosphere of Rome.
Sinner won his 24th consecutive match in one hour and 40 minutes, the 24-year-old barely breaking a sweat to set up a clash with Alexei Popyrin or Jakub Mensik in the third round.
