ROME: Fresh off a doubles title in Madrid, Victoria Azarenka stepped up her singles game on the red clay courts at the Italian Open by defeating Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-3 in her opening match on Thursday.

Stephens was coming off a singles title at a smaller clay-court event in Saint Malo, France, while Azarenka lost her singles opener in Madrid.

“I was definitely quite nervous before the match,” Azarenka said. “I felt like I didn’t have too many matches under my belt and Sloane just won the tournament, so I knew she’s in a good form, so I just tried to kind of stay focused on myself.”

The strategy worked, as Azarenka overpowered Stephens with baseline winners, plus a drop-shot winner to conclude a long rally midway through the second set when she broke for a 4-2 lead.

Azarenka is making her 14th appearance at the Foro Italico, having reached the final in 2013, when she lost to Serena Williams. This year, Azarenka has reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open and won the doubles title last week with Beatriz Haddad Maia, who she’s partnering again in Rome.

Last year’s French Open runner-up, Coco Gauff, routed Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1. Karolina Pliskova, the 2019 Rome champion and two-time runner-up, was eliminated by Hungarian qualifier Anna Bondar 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Wang Xiyu defeated Madrid quarter-finalist Irina-Camelia Begu 6-4, 7-5; and 11th-seeded Veronika Kudermetova won.

In men’s action, Albert Ramos-Vinolas rallied past Italian wild card Francesco Passaro 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to set up a rematch with Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz won their five-setter at last year’s French Open.

Lorenzo Sonego celebrated his 28th birthday with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over Jeremy Chardy.

Also, David Goffin rallied past 19-year-old Luca Nardi 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Campo Centrale and will next play 2017 champion Alexander Zverev; and German qualifier Daniel Altmaier beat Italian wild card Giulio Zeppieri 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-0 on the picturesque statue-lined Pietrangeli court.

On Wednesday night, Fabio Fognini edged out Andy Murray in a battle of veteran tennis dads to reach the second round.

Fognini, ranked outside of the top 100 for the first time in 14 years, came through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 against his fellow 35-year-old.

Next up for Fognini is a clash with Miomir Kecmanovic while 42nd-ranked Murray, the 2016 champion in Rome, licks his wounds after celebrating his first title since 2019 at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger on Sunday.

Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis was leading Jaume Munar 4-2 in the first set when his Spanish opponent retired due to lower back pain. Kokkinakis will next face local favourite Jannik Sinner.

Arthur Fils, another rising 18-year-old French player, beat fellow qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 for his first Masters 1000 victory, setting up a meeting with Holger Rune.

Wu Yibing of China rallied past French veteran Richard Gasquet 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 for his first tour win on clay.

Rome is the last big warmup before the French Open starts at the end of the month.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2023