Sinner cruises in opener, Zverev digs deep in three-set thriller

Jannik Sinner began his tilt at a maiden Paris Masters crown, which would return him to world No.1, with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Zizou Bergs on Wednesday, while reigning champion Alexander Zverev battled through a lengthy three-setter.

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Following the surprise exit of world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz at the round of 32 stage on Tuesday, a maiden crown in the ATP 1000 event in the French capital would return Sinner to the summit of the world rankings.

But the Italian second seed showed no signs of feeling the weight of that pressure in his opening match at La Defense Arena — the top eight seeds received byes through the first round.

"I'm very happy to come through the first match," Sinner said.

"I was very precise, and I also started off with a break straight away, which gives you a bit more confidence."

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner is known for his efficiency on-court and won through against 41st-ranked Belgian Bergs in one hour and 27 minutes without facing a single break point.

The 24-year-old methodically engineered breaks of his own early in both sets to seal his spot in the third round, where he was to meet Francisco Cerundolo later yesterday.