Jannik Sinner started his 2021 season with a 6-2 6-4 win over Alexandar Vukic after 67 minutes at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne in his first match since claiming his first ATP Tour title at the Sofia Open.
Sinner did not face a break point and won 75 % of his second service points setting up a second round match against Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene, who cruised past Australian wild card Dane Sweeny 6-0-6-4. Bedene beat Sinner 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in their only previosu head-to-head match in Umag in 2019.
The Italian 19-year-old player claimed the opening set with two breaks in the first and seventh games. Sinner went up a break in the opening game and held on his next service games to seal the second set 6-4.
This year’s Delray Beach and third seed Hubert Hurkacz won 31 of his 32 first serve points in his 6-4 6-3 win over Denmark’s Mikael Torpegaard.
Italy’s Salvatore Caruso saved 8 of the 10 break points he faced in his 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-1 win over former Australian Open quarter finalist Tennys Sandgren. Caruso will take on Miomir Kecmanovic.
Stefano Travaglia came back from one set down to beat Sam Querrey 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 6-4.
