Portugal Colonial - Sinner wins at Italian Open in first match since doping ban

World number one Sinner cruised through to a third-round clash with lucky loser Jesper de Jong with a simple win over Argentinian Navone in front of over 10,000 enthusiastic fans at the Foro Italico.

The Italian had not played since winning the Australian Open in January due to the suspension he accepted from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) the following month.

He twice tested positive for traces of banned substance clostebol in March last year, although WADA accepted that the 23-year-old had been accidentally contaminated by his physiotherapist.

Sinner delighted a partisan and packed centre court in the Italian capital, shaking off the cobwebs as he eyes a run at Roland Garros later this month.

Sinner said before his first training session in Rome that he was just hoping to get past his match with Navone and see where his game is, after an enforced spell on the sidelines.

The three time Grand Slam winner's last clay court match was his epic semi-final defeat to rival Carlos Alcaraz at last year's French Open, and while the crowd matched such a big occasion on Saturday, the tennis did not.

Alcaraz was a short walk away at the Stadio Olimpico to watch his footballer friend Patric play for Lazio while Sinner took on world number 99 Navone.

And the Spaniard, who faces Laslo Djere on Sunday night, wouldn't have been surprised to hear that Sinner dealt with Navone in a perfunctory, unflashy manner to begin his comeback in style.

P.Serra--PC