Jannik Sinner is back at the Cincinnati Open \u2013 and has started his campaign in impressive fashion at the Masters 1000 event.<\/p>\n
A 59-minute opening-match win over Daniel Elahi Galan on Saturday proved to be the quickest ATP Tour match win of the world No 1\u2019s career to date<\/a>, cementing his place as the tournament favourite.<\/p>\n The Italian is the reigning champion at the tournament, having beaten Frances Tiafoe in the final last summer<\/a>, and will fancy his chances of claiming back-to-back titles over the next week.<\/p>\n However, defending the Cincinnati Open title is easier said than done, with only four men having done so in the Open Era.<\/p>\n Here, we look at the exclusive club Sinner<\/a> will hope to join.<\/p>\n Mats Wilander \u2013 1983-84<\/p>\n A winner of four Cincinnati Open titles, tennis great Wilander<\/a> was the first man in the Open Era to successfully defend his crown at this event.<\/p>\n The Swede triumphed for the first time in 1983, beating 1981 champion and fellow tennis great John McEnroe in the final, before downing Swedish compatriot Anders Jarryd in 1984.<\/p>\n Wilander was denied a \u2018three-peat\u2019 in 1985, falling to Boris Becker in the final, though he would claim further titles in 1986 and 1988.<\/p>\n Tennis News<\/p>\n Jannik Sinner given Career Grand Slam \u2018six or seven years\u2019 warning by ex-Djokovic coach<\/a><\/p>\n Who has qualified for the ATP Finals? Sinner joins Alcaraz in exclusive club<\/a><\/p>\n Michael Chang \u2013 1993-94<\/p>\n One of an iconic generation of US tennis players, Chang became the second man in the Open Era to successfully defend the title in Cincinnati, exactly a decade on from Wilander.<\/p>\n Former world No 2 Chang battled past Stefan Edberg in three sets to lift his first title in 1993, and then beat the Swede in straight sets to defend his crown in 1994.<\/p>\n Chang would reach further Cincinnati Open finals in 1995 and 1996, though he would finish as the runner-up on both occasions.<\/p>\n Andre Agassi \u2013 1995-96<\/p>\n The man to beat Chang in both the 1995 and 1996 finals was tennis legend Agassi<\/a>, who joined this exclusive group thanks to consecutive victories over his compatriot.<\/p>\n Top seed Agassi beat fourth seed Chang to lift his first Cincinnati Open title in 1995 before again triumphing in 1996, with both victories coming in straight sets.<\/p>\n The eight-time Grand Slam champion would win a third Cincinnati title eight years later in 2004, holding a perfect 3-0 record in finals at the Masters 1000 event.<\/p>\n Roger Federer \u2013 2009-10, 2014-15<\/p>\n