World No. 1 Jannik Sinner returned to tour-level competition on Saturday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia by edging Argentine Mariano Navone in straight sets, showcasing high-level tennis in his first match in three months due to ineligibility.
Competing in his first match on tour since winning the Australian Open late in January, Jannik Sinner edged world No. 99 Mariano Navone with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in one hour and 38 minutes, kickstarting his campaign at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Saturday evening in Rome.
In his on-court interview, Italy’s top racket outlined: “I’m very happy about the win today. It was very difficult. He is such a great player, especially on this surface.
“I tried to move around the ball. At times, it went very well, and at times, it could have been better, but in any case, it doesn’t matter about the result today. It has been a remarkable day for me. I am very happy.”
Next, he will meet Dutch player Jesper De Jong, who stunned 25th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with a statement 6-0, 6-2 earlier on Saturday.
The 19-time ATP titlist took his time to find his balance, adjusting his game as the opening set wore on.
Then, he hit first, converting a break in the fourth game, and held to come out on top at 4-1.
Meanwhile, Navone continued to showcase a high level of tennis, wise on his backhand, moving on to narrow the gap 2-4.
However, the Italian player held at love, but so did the Argentine, staying the course.
Unrelenting, the two-time Australian Open served for the set; in the process, he committed his first double fault, but after a battle at deuce, he wrapped up the proceedings 6-3 in 32 minutes, his first set win in over 100 days.
After reaching a settlement agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over the case of his anti-doping rule violation, the playeraccepted a three-month suspension from tennis, which sidelined him from tour for three months.
The home favorite fired more winners than his adversary, 11 to 6, but Navone committed fewer unforced errors than the San Candido native, seven against 11.
Putting to good use his vast repertoire, the 23-year-old executed drop shots to perfection at crucial moments while dominating in the longer exchanges, striking the ball cleanly off both wings.
In the fourth game of the second set, the unseeded player generated a break point opportunity he missed to convert as Sinner navigated out of danger to even the score 2-2, solid from the baseline.
There were moments of brilliance in a lengthy seventh game, courtesy of Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill’s pupil, who added pressure to break his rival in his fourth attempt.
Navone found an extra gear, and his efforts paid off as he broke straight back, splitting the scoreboard four games apiece.
Sinner held his nerve, producing a double break to notch the ninth game and lead 5-4, serving for the match.
He was made to work by the 24-year-old, digging deep to close out 6-4, punching his ticket into the next round.
The three-time Grand Slam champion hit 21 winners against 24 unforced errors compared to his opponent’s 10 and 19, respectively.
In addition, he won 10 of 13 net approaches, converting three of seven break-point opportunities, winning 63 percent of the points on his first serve.
Back in action on home soil, Sinner extended his winning streak to 22 matches, playing in his first clay tournament since Roland-Garros last season.
In many ways, it felt as if he had never left throughout a demanding physical and mental contest.
