Rome: Iga Swiatek started her bid to win her third straight Italian Open title in perfect fashion on Friday, not dropping a game in her straight-sets thrashing of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
World No 1 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.
Losing finalist in Madrid last weekend, Swiatek looked in great form in the tournament she won last year before going on to blitz the French Open.
Extending winning streak
Swiatek now faces either Bernarda Pera or Lesia Tsurenko in the last 32 after extending her winning streak in the Italian capital to 12 matches.
The only real resistance from Pavlyuchenkova, who reached the final of Roland Garros two years ago, came in the final game of the first set, when she saved six set points from 0-40 down on her serve.
Swiatek eventually came through that game and swept Pavlyuchenkova aside in the second set, finishing the job against the serve with her first match point.
Sinner cruises
Earlier, Jannick Sinner cruised into the men’s last 32 with a straight-set win over Thanasi Kokkinakis, 6-1, 6-4.
World No 8 Sinner took one hour, 18 minutes to deal with Australian qualifier Kokkinakis, and will now play Russian Alexander Shevchenko, who beat Argentinian Sebastian Baez 6-3, 6-4.
“I’m happy with my level today, it was not easy, it was a little bit breezy, a bit windy,” Sinner said on court.
“Especially in the second set he played a little bit better. I also had a couple of chances which I didn’t use but very happy about how I served, I struck the ball very well.”
Show the love
Sinner, 21, did not drop a single point on his serve in a dominant first set in which the gulf in class between the Italian and Kokkinakis was painfully evident.
Kokkinakis, ranked 104 in the world, put up more of a fight in the second set but once Sinner broke in the seventh game to take the score to 4-3, it was only a matter of time before the deal was sealed.
Sinner made no mistake, serving to love in games eight and nine to ensure comfortable passage to the next round.
Special feeling
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 abdominal problems, Sinner will be getting the bulk of the capital city’s support.
“It is a very special feeling especially here in Rome,” Sinner added.
“You know trying to be an example for the young kids, also spending a little bit of time with them. It’s important to show them the love.”
Norrie strolls past qualifier
Sinner has had a decent season, winning in Montpellier in February and losing the finals in Miami and Rotterdam to Daniil Medvedev.
He also reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells, losing to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz.
Cameron Norrie strolled past French qualifier Alexandre Muller 6-2, 6-3 to set up a clash with Marton Fucsovics or Alex de Minaur in the next round.
Muller had won his first ever main draw match in a Masters tournament in the first round, beating another Briton in Kyle Edmund, and was no match for World number 13 Norrie.
