Sawt Falasteen - Sinner eases past Cilic to launch China Open title bid

Next at the China Open the world number two from Italy faces qualifier Terence Atmane of France.

"We did a lot of work to be back in this position again, so I'm very happy," Sinner said.

"I missed the competition. Of course, you are nervous, you have doubts and it's normal... but you have to be also excited to go again on court.

"At the moment I feel great physically and mentally, which is the most important."

The 36-year-old Cilic was looking to snap a winless run stretching back to the Wimbledon last 16.

The two were evenly matched in the first set until the 24-year-old Sinner broke for a 3-2 lead.

The Italian added the next two games without losing a point and closed the set with minimum fuss.

Sinner broke early to take control of the second set for a 2-1 lead and pushed that to 5-1, overpowering the 97th-ranked former US Open champion.

Four-time major champion Sinner secured a routine win when Cilic returned into the net.

"Big respect to him," Sinner said. "I managed to break him quite early, which then gave me the confidence to continue."

Sinner has vowed to introduce some unpredictability to his play after losing the New York final -- and top ranking -- this month to Carlos Alcaraz.

"I don't think it's pressure off or on," Sinner, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, said of their rankings swap.

"I'm very, very happy with the season I have played, or am playing, because it was remarkable for my side what I did, but also for what Carlos is doing.

"At the moment he deserves to be there, you know, it's as simple as that. He played more tournaments and he played all tournaments very, very well."

Sinner is vying for a third straight Beijing final after winning on his China Open debut in 2023, before losing last year's decider to Alcaraz.

A WTA 1000 event is also taking place in Beijing.

W.AbuLaban--SF-PST