Jannik Sinner progressed to the second round of the Qatar Open with a straight sets win over Tomas Machac in Doha.
The world number two defeated the 31st ranked Czech player 6-1, 6-4 in his first match since his semi final exit at the Australian Open. The result secured Sinner a second round meeting with Alexei Popyrin at the ATP event in Qatar, where Carlos Alcaraz is the top seed.
Sinner returned to competition following his defeat to Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park last month. In Doha, he delivered a controlled performance on serve, losing six points across nine service games.
The Italian moved through the opening set in less than 30 minutes, breaking early and maintaining pressure on Machac. The second set was more competitive, with Machac holding serve more consistently.
A break of serve in the fifth game proved decisive. Although Sinner required five match points to secure victory, he closed out the match in straight sets to continue his Qatar Open campaign.
The win marks a positive start to Sinner’s tournament as he aims to build form on the ATP Tour following the Australian Open.
