Jannik Sinner fended off eight break points as the top seed began his Cincinnati Masters campaign with a 6-4, 7-5 win over U.S. qualifier Alex Michelsen on Wednesday.
The Italian world number one, who turns 23 on Friday, has never made it past the third round in the US Midwest but will be hoping to improve on his performance this week.
The victory in just under two hours marked the 25th of the season for Sinner, who became the first man to reach the third round of the ATP-WTA tournament, the last major test before the start of the US Open on August 26.
The top seed has not lost before the quarterfinals at any event since the Masters 1000 Shanghai last October.
The teenager Michelsen made 42 unforced errors, his number of 14 winners is exactly half that of Sinner.
“It was a tough game,” Sinner said. “I had to get a feel for the conditions and get used to them.”
“I’m very happy to be in the next round. In previous years I’ve had problems here. But today I stayed positive and that contributed to the win.”
Sinner, who missed the Paris Olympics because of tonsillitis and was eliminated in the quarterfinals in Montreal last week, said he was not at his best.
“I’m not 100 percent yet, but the main goal is the US Open,” he said. “I have a week (after Cincinnati) to prepare as best as I can.”
“The games I can play here will help me in the Open.”
Ninth-seeded Stefano Tsitsipas played for the first time since splitting from his father as coach last week, with the Greek turning the tables in dramatic fashion to reach the second round with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Jan-Lennard Struff.
Tsitsipas was down 3-1 by one set against the German, but suddenly he came alive and his game got better and better.
The 2022 Cincinnati finalist finished his win with a pair of aces.
Tsitsipas finished with 31 winners, while the German Struff was burdened by 48 unforced errors, including 10 double faults.
Tsitsipas used three of his 14 break points.
“I was in a great serving flow at the end of the match,” said Tsitsipas. “I showed a lot of improvements that had a positive impact on my game.”
“When I was behind, I kept fighting, got the break back and figured out what could work. I took some chances and took the lead.
“I gave it my all to finish the game, changed my game and it was worth it.”
Seventh-seeded Casper Ruud met his opening opponent in the second round, as Felix Auger-Aliassime secured his place opposite the Norwegian with a 6-3, 6-1 first-round win over US qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic.
Eighth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, the 2017 champion, will face Fabian Marozsan, who defeated Corentin Moutet 6-3, 7-6 (7/1).
Dane Holger Rune won his first career match here at the third attempt, defeating former top-10 Italian Matteo Berrettini with a 2:6, 6:1, 6:4 comeback in the second round.
The victory ended Berrettini’s ten-match winning streak, during which he had won two consecutive clay court titles in Gstaad and Kitzbühel.
In the women’s event, Paula Badosa and her boyfriend Tsitsipas reached the second round after defeating Cincinnati native Peyton Stearns 6-2 and 7-5.
Washington champion Badosa will next play 13th seed Anna Kalinskaya, who won a comeback against Katerina Siniakova 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
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