Sabalenka and defending champion Paolini begin Italian Open campaigns with wins

[p]World number one and favourite for the women's title in the Italian capital, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Sabalenka[/a] took one hour and 25 minutes to see off Czech [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/krejcikova-barbora/2FyACZYi/"]Krejcikova[/a] in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/krejcikova-b-2FyACZYi/sabalenka-a-vyhksgUB/?mid=ANjfLQsB"]the final match of the day on centre court[/a].[/p][p]Sabalenka has never won the Italian Open. Her run to the final two years ago, when she was lost to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a], her best result.[/p][p]But with the French Open around the corner, the Belarusian made no mistake against Krejcikova, a former Wimbledon and French Open champion.[/p][embed guid="bdbf9339-f631-4fca-8d2f-e443890ea30a" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FYd23SavfE" social-type="youtube" /][p]Sabalenka lost the first game on her serve, but from there, she comfortably dealt with Krejcikova to set up a match with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cirstea-sorana/fBPsm3Iq/"]Sorana Cirstea[/a] in the next round.[/p][p]"[b]I'm super happy to be through. She's a great player. We had a lot of tough matches in the past[/b]," Sabalenka said on court.[/p][p]"[b]I'm of course happy with the level I played and to get this tough win[/b]."[/p][p]The top seed is on the same side of the draw as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a], who beat Sabalenka in last year's French Open final and made short work of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valentova-tereza/hWMZK1VQ/"]Tereza Valentova[/a] in her opening match of the tournament.[/p][embed guid="9504e241-dd0f-4b7d-a99e-89120ab813f6" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8wcdcgJfgI" social-type="youtube" /][p]American star Gauff beat Valentova [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/valentova-t-hWMZK1VQ/?mid=EmJa1yYP"]6-3, 6-4[/a] in one hour and 34 minutes in front of a sparsely-populated centre court, and will play Argentine [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sierra-solana/E5xrmfn5/"]Solana Sierra[/a] in the next round.[/p][p]Earlier, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paolini-jasmine/noaX0EJn/"]Jasmine Paolini[/a] launched her title defence by battling back from a set down to beat France's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jeanjean-leolia/EDBO32wT/"]Leolia Jeanjean[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/jeanjean-l-EDBO32wT/paolini-j-noaX0EJn/?mid=lfsBgGr9"]6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4[/a].[/p][h2]Paolini through[/h2][p]Home hope Paolini is bidding to become the first Italian woman to retain the title in Rome, but started slowly at the Foro Italico.[/p][p]The world number eight turned on the afterburners after going behind following an error-strewn first set, comfortably turning around the match to secure a spot in the third round, where she will meet [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mertens-elise/Y1ZrrUtl/"]Elise Mertens[/a].[/p][p]"[b]This match was a bit of up and downs, for sure. But I remember last year, I mean, also a lot of up and downs during the tournament[/b]," said Paolini.[/p][embed guid="51df3a04-bfc2-4a3c-8fdb-a640d80e6ee1" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss5-S7jgfvk" social-type="youtube" /][p]Paolini's compatriot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/berrettini-matteo/OhwtM7N8/"]Matteo Berrettini[/a] fell at the first hurdle, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/berrettini-m-OhwtM7N8/popyrin-a-fJjLpuNq/?mid=zH2YPZf3"]6-2, 6-3[/a], to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/popyrin-alexei/fJjLpuNq/"]Alexei Popyrin[/a], a defeat which will see the former Wimbledon finalist drop out of the top 100 in the men's rankings.[/p][p]The Rome native has had a hideous time with abdominal injuries in recent years, and since the start of the season -- when he had to pull out of the Australian Open -- he has won just nine matches and lost 10.[/p][p]"[b]It was a pretty bad day, I had no energy and I wasn't able to use the energy of the crowd[/b]," said Berrettini.[/p][p]"[b]This year started in a particular way, and the only way I can move forward is to accept that there will be days like this[/b]."[/p][embed guid="ad76ed40-2322-44ef-b7d7-fae903036099" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsm5UoKJnC0" social-type="youtube" /][p]Another Italian in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sonego-lorenzo/zVuMEJTT/"]Lorenzo Sonego[/a] was dumped out at the first time of asking, the 30-year-old seen off in straight sets [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/buse-i-A1LQjAPb/sonego-l-zVuMEJTT/?mid=4EL89EAM"]6-3, 6-3[/a] by Peru's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/buse-ignacio/A1LQjAPb/"]Ignacio Buse[/a] on centre court.[/p]