World number two Jannik Sinner made a strong return to the court after his Australian Open semifinal loss, breezing past Tomas Machac at the Qatar Open in Doha.

 The Italian wrapped up an easy 6-1, 6-4 victory, taking the first set in just 27 minutes, before chatting courtside with former England footballer Rio Ferdinand.

Sinner now faces Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the last 16. Popyrin advanced after a 6-0, 6-2 win over local wildcard Mubarak Shannan Zayid, setting up an intriguing clash with the world number two.