BEIJING: World number one Jannik Sinner fought back to launch the defence of his China Open title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over 28th-ranked Chilean Nicolas Jarry on Thursday.
The US Open champion next faces veteran three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, who is a wildcard entry in Beijing, or Russia's Roman Safiullin.
The 23-year-old Sinner arrived in the Chinese capital fresh from winning in New York for his second major title, having triumphed at the Australian Open at the start of the year.
With victory also at the Cincinnati Masters before the US Open, Sinner faced Jarry in red-hot form and on an 11-match winning streak.
Sinner made that 12, but not before suffering a scare.
"In the first set I was struggling to return his serve and he broke me," Sinner said.
"I just tried to stay there mentally. The first round at any tournament is never easy and playing against him is very tough.
"But I am happy about the performance and how I ended the match."
The two went toe-to-toe in the first set but it was the Chilean who got in front when he broke for a 4-3 lead when the world number one fired long.
The 28-year-old Jarry consolidated without losing a point in the eighth game and, after double-faulting on his first set point, sealed the set with his fifth ace of the match.
Going behind seemed to sting a re-energised Sinner into action.
The top seed raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set, eventually wrapping the set up after briefly threatening to blow his advantage.
Sinner tamed Jarry's big serve to start the deciding set and grab an early break, winning the game with a terrific crosscourt backhand.
Sinner broke again for 4-1 and was well on the way to an ultimately comfortable win.
His main rivals in the Chinese capital will be four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz and the Russian duo of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, the third and fourth seeds.
Novak Djokovic is not in Beijing, where a WTA 1000 event is also taking place at the same time. - AFP