Shanghai, Oct 5 (IANS): World No. 1 Jannik Sinner continued to assert his dominance as he became the first player this season to reach 60 victories with a confident 6-1, 6-4 win over Japan's Taro Daniel in his opening match at the Shanghai Masters.

Sinner also became the first player born in the 2000s to achieve 250 career wins

“I felt quite comfortable today,” said the 23-year-old Italian after the match. “I feel in good shape also physically, which is very important for me. Of course, I will try to improve for tomorrow’s performance, but today I was serving really, really well, especially in important moments, and was moving well.” Sinner’s performance underscored his readiness for the challenges ahead, as he looks to build on an already spectacular season.

With his victory over Daniel, Sinner improved his record to 14-0 in opening-round matches this year and has reached the quarter-finals in all 13 tournaments he has played in 2024. His consistency has been remarkable; he holds a stunning 51-0 record against players ranked outside the Top 20 since losing to Serbian Dusan Lajovic, ranked No. 66, at the Cincinnati Masters 2023.

Sinner’s confidence and skill on the court have made him a formidable opponent, and he is poised to surpass his previous record of 64 wins in a single season—set last year, which remains the most by an Italian man in the Open Era.

Next up for Sinner is a second-round clash against 31st seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry, with the potential for a rematch against 14th seed Ben Shelton lurking beyond that. Last year, Shelton knocked Sinner out of the Shanghai event in their first-ever meeting.