World number one Jannik Sinner launched his campaign in Rome with a commanding win over Sebastian Ofner in his quest for a sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title on Saturday.
Under the lights on Campo Centrale, top seed Jannik Sinner kicked off proceedings at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia with a straightforward win over world No. 82 Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 40 minutes on Saturday night.
After the encounter, the four-time Grand Slam champion outlined: "The first match, the most important thing is not to lose. The level will eventually come day by day.
"I am very happy to be here. Since day one, this has been a very special tournament for me. Every year when you come here, you reflect about the year a little bit, being Italian, and in a year, a lot of things can change. I am happy to be here."
At the young age of 24, Sinner has already etched his name in tennis history with brilliance.
Sinner, the first man in the series history to win five consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments (conquered Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid), seeks glory on home soil.
Should he surge as Rome victor, he would become the second man in series history to win all 9 Masters 1000 titles (Golden Masters) after 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.
On Saturday, he launched his campaign, moving a step closer towards that goal.
In the process, he joined Roger Federer for the third-longest Masters 1000 winning streak in series history (29).
He took control of his opening match against the Austrian player in the early stages, courtesy of his aggressive baseline play and clean ball-striking, executing his shotmaking with finesse.
Overall, the No. 1 Italian racquet, who did not face a break point all match, hit 19 winners to 16 unforced errors, and won 82 percent of the points on his first serve.
Dictating the rhythm from the outset, he charged to the net with precision, winning 71 percent of his net approaches.
Elsewhere, Serbian Hamad Medjedovic edged out 27th seed Joao Fonseca and a loud Brazilian crowd 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(1) in a gruelling two-hour, 24-minute contest on Supertennis Arena.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Arthur Fils handed Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino a walkover into the third round as the Barcelona champion retired due to a physical issue when his opponent led 4-0 in the first set.
Early in May, Sinner and Fils clashed in the Madrid Open semifinals with the former taking the better of the world No. 17 in straight sets, recording the 350th win of his career.
For his part, the 21-year-old has gone from strength to strength since his comeback to action last February, sidelined from the Tour for eight months due to a lower-back stress fracture.
Ever since, he has built his way back in impressive form, playing high-level tennis while showcasing great athleticism.
It remains a question mark whether he will recover in time for his home Slam, Roland-Garros.