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Sinner is bidding to become the first player to defend the Shanghai title since Novak Djokovic in 2013 and arrived fresh from lifting the title in Beijing on Thursday (AEST).

Against Altmaier, the world No.2 picked up where he left off in the Chinese capital by producing a one-hour 38-minute masterclass.

“I knew before the match it was going to be very difficult today,” Sinner said.

“I didn’t have a lot of time to adapt here, but it makes it even more special. Every day, every opponent is very difficult, it’s a huge challenge. So I’m very happy to come through today and hopefully I’m able to raise my level tomorrow.”

Sinner converted three of four break points to set-up a third-round meeting with Tallon Griekspoor.

With Carlos Alcaraz missing Shanghai because of injury, 24-year-old Sinner has the opportunity to boost his hopes of a return to the world No.1 spot with a success here.

If he beats Griekspoor, he will move to within 1,290 points of Alcaraz at the top of the world rankings, and he will close the gap to just 390 points by successfully defending his title.

“Everything is different [here]. It’s much more humid and it can feel much more physical here,” Sinner said when asked about adapting from Beijing to Shanghai.

“I tried to rest, but it is difficult after you win a title. You have to have a great balance of practice. Obviously now the priority is to feel as good as I can physically for the next one.”