The Foro Italico witnessed a dramatic day of tennis as four seeded players exited the tournament prematurely on Saturday, but Jannik Sinner proved to be an unwavering force in the opening round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Sinner, the current world No. 1, showcased his dominance with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 victory over Austria’s Sebastian Ofner. Sinner’s performance was particularly impressive as he did not face a single break point throughout the match, wrapping it up in just one hour and 40 minutes. After finishing as the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz the previous year, Sinner is eager to seize this opportunity and claim a title that has eluded him so far.
Reflecting on his return to a tournament close to his heart, Sinner expressed, “It is an amazing feeling to be back. The first match, the most important thing is not to lose. The level will eventually come day by day. I am very happy to be here. This tournament has been very special for me, and every year I come here, I reflect a little bit on my journey.”
However, not all competitors fared well. Young players Arthur Fils, Joao Fonseca, Ben Shelton, and Felix Auger-Aliassime faced early exits. Fils’ match ended abruptly as he retired without winning a game against Andrea Pellegrino, reportedly due to a back concern. Fonseca battled hard but ultimately fell to Hamad Medjedovic in a nail-biting third-set tiebreaker that added to the electric atmosphere at the SuperTennis Arena. Shelton pushed through a challenging match but lost to Nikoloz Basilashvili in three sets, while Auger-Aliassime faced a disappointment as Mariano Navone secured a victory in two tightly contested tiebreaks.
Sinner was not alone in advancing to the last 32, as several other seeds, including Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Andrey Rublev, Frances Tiafoe, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Brandon Nakashima, also progressed. Notably, Medvedev received a walkover from Tomas Machac, enabling him to advance without stepping on the court.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will undoubtedly remain on Sinner, who is eyeing not just victory but a historic title to add to his growing collection.
