Returning after 3 months of suspension, Sinner had a good start at the Italian Open

In his first match in more than three months, the world No. 1 quickly asserted his position by defeating Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Italian Open. Despite losing the second set, Sinner responded quickly to win in one hour and 38 minutes.

Sinner celebrates his victory in his opening match at the Italian Open (Photo: Getty).

Sinner shared: "It's a great feeling. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I'm very happy to be back. It's hard to get good feedback when you haven't had any matches for a long time. This is exactly what I needed. Now I think the best practice is matches, so I'm very happy about that.

I'm very happy about the win today. It was a very difficult match. He's a great player, especially on this surface. I tried to move around the ball. Sometimes it went very well, sometimes it could have been better, but in any case, the result today is not important. It's a memorable day for me, so I'm very happy."

Sinner showed little emotion on court as he completed his first victory since winning the Australian Open title. He continued his impressive form with overwhelming power over Navone. The win extended Sinner's winning streak to 22 matches since last October.

Sinner added: "I was surprised how quickly things could happen. I tried to give it my all. I think this is the only thing I can do and control right now. Honestly, I feel pretty good. Of course, there were some ups and downs, which is normal, but he played some great tennis, especially when he broke my serve in the second set. I tried to accept that and try to work on it again. Now I have some good feedback and hopefully I can keep going."

Sinner is on an unbeaten streak since October 2024 (Photo: Getty).

With his win over world No. 99 Navone, Sinner improved to 60-0 against players outside the Top 20 since the start of the 2023 US Open. He will look to make it 61-0 when he faces Jesper de Jong, who edged Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-0, 6-2.

Sinner took a few games to find his rhythm in his first match against Navone. However, he quickly broke his opponent's serve to win, allaying any concerns of the home crowd.

After taking the first set without a hitch, Sinner cruised to victory after breaking through in the seventh game of the second set. Although Navone earned the first break to level the score at 4-4, Sinner quickly took back the two games needed to complete the victory.

Sinner often hits the ball accurately from both wings, but it is perhaps the way he moves around the court after three months without a competitive match that pleases the Italian the most. He moves sharply all over the court on long serves and is also quick to reach the net.

Alex de Minaur has been in sensational form as he cruised into the third round of the Rome tournament, beating wildcard Luca Nardi 6-4, 7-5 to register his 25th win of the season.

De Minaur's next opponent will be Hugo Dellien. The Bolivian player entered the main draw after Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew due to a lower back injury. Dellien did not miss the opportunity, defeating Thiago Seyboth Wild 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to earn the right to face De Minaur.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/tro-lai-sau-3-thang-trèo-vot-sinner-khoi-dau-tot-tai-italian-open-20250511080930446.htm