Winning Return for Sinner in Rome
Jannik Sinner did not miss his comeback to competition. Away from the tour for three months following his suspension, the world No. 1 was strong enough to defeat Mariano Navone (6-3, 6-4) in the second round of the Rome Masters 1000.
Expectations were high at the Foro Italico, and Sinner delivered. Absent from the courts since his Australian Open victory, he started his match perfectly with a break in the fourth game. That was enough for him to take the lead 6-3 after 42 minutes.
The battle was fiercer in the second set, as seen in the exchange of breaks from 3-3 to 5-4, where long rallies were frequent. Facing a physical challenge, Sinner had to fight until the last point. He ultimately sealed the win with an ace, breaking Navone, who had tried his best to unsettle the world No. 1.
Despite a less-than-perfect first-serve percentage (60%) and a negative ratio of winners to unforced errors (21 winners to 24 unforced errors), the Italian advanced to the third round in Rome, where Jesper De Jong awaits. De Jong earlier defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-0, 6-2.
