World number one Jannik Sinner overcame a tough start to beat Chile’s Nicolas Jarry 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, kicking off his China Open title defence on Thursday.
Sinner, fresh off his US Open victory and an 11-match winning streak, struggled early on as 28th-ranked Jarry took the first set after breaking for a 4-3 lead. Jarry sealed the set with his fifth ace, but the top-seeded Sinner quickly regrouped.
In the second set, Sinner surged ahead 3-0 and held off a brief challenge to level the match. He then dominated the decider, breaking Jarry twice to secure a comfortable victory.
Next up for Sinner is either three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, a wildcard in Beijing, or Russia’s Roman Safiullin.
With major rivals like Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev in the draw, Sinner’s road to defending his title won’t be easy. Novak Djokovic is absent from the tournament, where a WTA 1000 event is also underway.
