ROME   -   Spanish Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his Italian Open campaign with a straight-set victory over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic, while top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka outclassed Russia’s Anastasia Potapova. Alcaraz made a strong comeback after he sustained a thigh injury in the final of the Barcelona Open, which he lost to Holger Rune last month. The Spaniard started the game aggressively, leading 4-0 in the first set. Lajovic won the next three, but Alcaraz was good enough to win the first one comfortably. The four-time Grand Slam winner closed out the showdown in a style with again leading 3-0 and finishing off three games ahead. “Today was a really good day in the office, hopefully tomorrow and Sunday is going to be better,” said Alcaraz, who beat Lajovic 6-3, 6-3. The 22-year-old will face either American Alex Michelsen or Serbia’s Laslo Djere in the round of 32. World number one Sabalenka secured an equally emphatic victory over Potapova, beating the Russian 6-2, 6-2 to secure a place in the third round. The match lasted just an hour as last year’s finalist swept past the Russian comfortably.

“I’d say that the top player is always a favourite,” said a confident Sabalenka. “I know that if I bring my best game and my fight spirit on court, I know that I can win this tournament.” Sabalenka will compete against Sofia Kenin of the United States in the next round, who beat another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0.