Sinner starts Italian Open campaign with routine win, Auger-Aliassime dumped out

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/ofner-s-h6vs3iR2/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/?mid=xhTpdK0l"]The world number one delighted fans[/a] in the packed centre court stands with a predictably dominant display, which left Austria's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ofner-sebastian/h6vs3iR2/"]Ofner[/a] little room to breathe, even in the breezy atmosphere of Rome.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Sinner[/a] won his 24th consecutive match in one hour and 40 minutes, the 24-year-old barely breaking a sweat to set up a clash with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/popyrin-alexei/fJjLpuNq/"]Alexei Popyrin[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Jakub Mensik[/a] in the third round.[/p][p]No Italian man has won at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago, and with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alcaraz-garfia-carlos/UkhgIFEq/"]Carlos Alcaraz[/a] out of action, Sinner is expected to go one better than last year when he lost the final to his great rival.[/p][embed guid="7fb07bab-e9cd-4f6c-a3f6-26fadc86f272" url="https://x.com/InteBNLdItalia/status/2053187309042881023" social-type="twitter" /][p]Such was Sinner's dominance that he had time to break into a smile when the match was stopped twice in the second set for spectator illnesses.[/p][p][b]"I'm very happy to be back here, it's always been a very special tournament for me,"[/b] said Sinner.[/p][p][b]"I'm trying to get into a good match rhythm again, even though I've played a lot in the last couple of months... I'm very happy, and now let's see what's coming also in the next round."[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="0945b8cf-a2be-4840-87c2-a133660dcfa0" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="a480ed6f-7332-4d80-8da6-02c6c3b46e82" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]It was the third win for an Italian man on Saturday, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cobolli-flavio/zDtaCcPe/"]Flavio Cobolli[/a], who helped his country win last year's Davis Cup in Sinner's absence, beating France's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/atmane-terence/6mkEQ279/"]Terence Atmane[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/atmare-t-6mkEQ279/cobolli-f-zDtaCcPe/?mid=tGxA5h6N"]7-6(1), 6-3[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellucci-mattia/M9pojLqi/"]Mattia Bellucci[/a], ranked 64 in the world, is in the fourth round after a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bellucci-m-M9pojLqi/etcheverry-t-m-AXL5qpKa/?mid=rBg8efLH"]5-7, 6-2, 6-3[/a] win over 24th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/etcheverry-tomas-martin/AXL5qpKa/"]Tomas Martin Etcheverry[/a].[/p][p]Former winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Daniil Medvedev[/a] will begin his campaign in the third round after his match, which was scheduled to be the first on centre court, was shelved when his opponent, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/machac-tomas/S44E7UYr/"]Tomas Machac[/a], pulled out of the tournament with an unspecified illness.[/p][p]Fourth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/auger-aliassime-felix/CzXh4LAb/"]Felix Auger-Aliassime[/a] suffered a shock second-round defeat at the hands of Argentina's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/navone-mariano/YoPUeL3o/"]Mariano Navone[/a], the Canadian losing to his 44th-ranked opponent in straight sets [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/auger-aliassime-f-CzXh4LAb/navone-m-YoPUeL3o/?mid=MHhspTPq"]7-6(4), 7-6(5)[/a].[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/atp-singles/rome/"]Follow the men's side of the Italian Open here.[/a][/b][/p]