Inga Swiatek of Poland in action during her Round of 64 match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia | Photo Credit: Reuters
Inga Swiatek began her bid to win her third straight Italian Open title by thrashing Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets on Friday.
World number one Swiatek looked in exceptional form as she demolished Pavlyuchenkova 6-0, 6-0 in just over an hour to ease her way into the third round in Rome.
Swiatek, who lost the final in Madrid last weekend, looked in fine form at the tournament she won last year before blitzing through the French Open, although she is still recovering from a rib injury she suffered at Indian Wells.
“I can still feel some discomfort, but it’s really minimal. Even when I withdrew from Miami, the pain was less. It was only the risk of it getting worse that stopped me.” Swiatek told reporters.
“I wouldn’t say my physicality is holding me back. I came back quickly and I only missed one tournament. I think overall it’s a very positive.”
After extending her winning streak to 12 matches in the Italian capital, Swiatek will now face either Bernarda Pera or Lesia Tsurenko in the last 32.
Pavlyuchenkova’s only real resistance, a Roland Garros finalist two years ago, came in the final game of the first set, when she saved six set points from 0-40 on her serve.
Swiatek eventually came through in that game and brushed aside Pavlyuchenkova in the second set, finishing the serve against serve with her first match point.
Fourth seed Ons Jabeur lost 6-1, 6-4 to last year’s finalist Paula Badosa, who was knocked out in her first match and exited the women’s tournament without any big names.
Jabeur has joined world number two Aryna Sabalenka, third-ranked Jessica Pegula and 2019 winner Karolina Pliskova in second-round exits.
The 28-year-old has had calf problems in recent weeks, an injury that saw him retire in the semi-finals in Stuttgart and miss the defense of his Madrid title.
Badosa will face world No. 27 Marta Kostyuk in the third round.
Earlier, Janik Sinner defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets to enter the men’s last 32.
World number eight Sinner took an hour and 18 minutes to see off Australian qualifier Kokkinakis and will now play Russian Alexander Shevchenko, who beat Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 6-3, 6-4.
“I’m happy with my level today, it wasn’t easy, it was a bit windy, a bit windy,” Sinner said on the court.
“Especially in the second set, she played a bit better. I had a few chances as well which I didn’t use but I’m very happy with the way I served, I hit the ball very well.”
The 21-year-old Sinner didn’t drop a single point on her serve in an impressive first set, in which the class gap between the Italian and Kokkinakis was glaringly obvious.
Kokkinakis, ranked 104th in the world, fought more in the second set but once Sinner went ahead 4-3 in the seventh game, it was only a matter of time before the deal was done.
Papi made no mistake, serving to love in games eight and nine to ensure comfortable passage to the next round.
Rome has not seen an Italian winner of the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
With local boy Matteo Berrettini out of action again with stomach problems, Sinner will have great support from the capital city.
Sinner has had a good season, winning in Montpellier in February and losing to Daniil Medvedev in the finals in Miami and Rotterdam.
He also reached the semifinals of Indian Wells, losing to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz.
Cameron Norrie defeated French qualifier Alexander Müller 6-2, 6-3 to set up a meeting with Marton Fuksovics in the next round, after the Hungarian defeated Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4.