STRONG RECOVERY: Sinner puts Australian Open heartbreak behind

DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Jannik Sinner cruised to victory over Tomas Machac in the opening round of the Qatar Open on Monday in his first match since his unsuccessful Australian Open title defense.

The world No. 2 eased past the 31st-ranked Czech 6-1, 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with Alexei Popyrin in Doha, where Carlos Alcaraz is the top seed this week.

It was a convincing return to action for Sinner after his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park last month.

“Physically I feel good,” the 24-year-old said.

“Every match is going to get tougher, so hopefully I will be ready for the next one.”

Sinner raced through the first set in under half an hour but Machac improved in the second.

A break in the fifth game still proved enough for the four-time Grand Slam champion, although he needed five match points to close it out.

On a windy day, the Italian lost just six points across his nine service games.

“You have to adapt to every situation and condition on the court,” Sinner said.

Sinner will next take on Popyrin, who beat Qatari wild card Mubarak Shannan Zayid 6-0, 6-2.

Alcaraz, who also has not played since Melbourne, where he won the Australian Open title, takes to the court on Tuesday when he faces Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech. The Spaniard was due to defend his Rotterdam title last week but withdrew on the eve of the event.

In other Round of 32 matches on Monday, both Jakub Mensik and Arthur Fils fought back from a set down to progress.

Mensik, the sixth seed, let a first-set tiebreak slip after leading it 6-3 against British qualifier Jan Choinski. Mensik fell a break behind in the third set but then broke twice to win 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 6-4.

Fils also lost a first-set breaker after leading but recovered to beat Pole Kamil Majchrzak 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Amanda Anisimova was handed a walkover into the Last 16 of the Dubai Open on Monday after her opponent Barbora Krejcikova was forced to withdraw from the WTA 1000 event.

The American second seed will enter the Round of 16 to face Janice Tjen without swinging a racket as two-time Grand Slam winner Krejcikova pulled out due to an issue with her left thigh.

The story of the tournament so far has been withdrawals, with the Czech joined on the out-list by Canadian starlet Victoria Mboko.

They became the seventh and eighth players to pull out, a list that includes the world top two Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.

Tjen booked her meeting with Anisimova thanks to a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 win in her round-of-32 match against 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez.

Emma Raducanu, who beat Fernandez in that New York final, tasted defeat in Dubai on Monday as she went out in the first round 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to world No. 67 Antonia Ruzic.

Rising star Iva Jovic booked her spot in the second round with a topsy-turvy 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 victory over Kamilla Rakhimova.

Sara Bejlek continued her breakthrough Middle East swing by beating Zeynep Sonmez in straight sets to set up a second-round match with ninth seed Belinda Bencic, who bested Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Paula Badosa beat Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 7-5 to book a meeting with Elina Svitolina, while third seed Coco Gauff will open her tournament against Anna Kalinskaya after the 27-year-old beat Jelena Ostapenko in three sets.

In Tuesday’s action, defending champion Mirra Andreeva will enter the fray against Daria Kasatkina and top seed Elena Rybakina faces Kimberly Birrell, both in the Round of 32.