Beijing, Sept. 25 -- Italian tennis superstar Jannik Sinner started his China Open title bid in style, with a win over Marin Cilic, the two-time finalist on Thursday.

Sinner, competing for the first time since the US Open final loss to arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz, where he also lost his ATP Rankings top spot, bounced back with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win. The 24-year-old Italian, who secured the title in Beijing in 2023 and reached the final last year, continued his fine run in the competition.

Speaking after the match, as quoted by ATP's official website, Sinner said, "I try to put a lot of concentration into the first-round matches, because I know that many things can go wrong. After you usually find your rhythm, your pace, the speed of t...