Italian Open 2018: Novak Djokovic Powers into 2nd Round with Straight Sets Win

Novak Djokovic opened his 2018 Italian Open campaign with a bang on Monday and needed less than an hour to defeat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 6-3 and take his spot in the second round of the competition.

Seeded stars David Goffin and Pablo Carreno Busta also advanced in the men's singles following wins over Leonardo Mayer and Jared Donaldson, respectively, while Kei Nishikori progressed after beating Feliciano Lopez in straight sets.

Home favourite Fabio Fognini ousted Gael Monfils from the Italian Open running with a 6-3, 6-1 win later on Monday, after Richard Gasquet bested Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-4 in a clash between French compatriots. Kyle Edmund survived a mid-match wobble to beat Malek Jaziri 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

In the women's singles, Carla Suarez Navarro and Magdalena Rybarikova were among the first-round casualties after losing to respective opponents Donna Vekic and Johanna Konta. 

Naomi Osaka defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-0, 6-3 to move into the second round, and Madison Keys will face Vekic in the next phase of the tournament after she downed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-1. Later, Anett Kontaveit hammered 12th seed CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-1.

Read on for a round-up of Monday's results from the Foro Italico sports complex in Rome.

Monday's Results

Men's Singles

(11) Novak Djokovic bt. Alexandr Dolgopolov: 6-1, 6-3

(9) David Goffin bt. Leonardo Mayer: 6-1, 6-2

(10) Pablo Carreno Busta bt. Jared Donaldson: 6-4, 3-6, 6-0

Kei Nishikori bt. Feliciano Lopez: 7-5 (5), 6-4

Aljaz Bedene bt. Gilles Muller: 6-4, 6-4

Robin Haase bt. Daniil Medvedev: 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Philipp Kohlschreiber bt. Karen Khachanov: 7-5, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6)

Marco Cecchinato bt. Pablo Cuevas: 2-6, 7-5, 6-4

Albert Ramos Vinolas bt. Federico Delbonis: 2-6, 7-5, 6-1

Matteo Berrettini bt. Frances Tiafoe: 6-3, 7-6 (1)

Benoit Paire bt. Richard Gasquet: 6-4, 6-4

Kyle Edmund bt. Malek Jaziri: 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

Fabio Fognini bt. Gael Monfils: 6-3, 6-1

Women's Singles

Petra Martic bt. Lesia Tsurenko: 6-1, 6-2

Johanna Konta bt. (17) Magdalena Rybarikova: 6-4, 6-3

Kaia Kanepi bt. Camilla Rosatello: 6-1, 6-2

Aleksandra Krunic bt. Roberta Vinci: 2-6, 6-0, 6-3

Donna Vekic bt. Carla Suarez Navarro: 6-1, 6-2

Naomi Osaka bt. Victoria Azarenka: 6-0, 6-3

(13) Madison Keys bt. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: 6-4, 6-1

Alison van Uytvanck bt. Sam Stosur: 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-2

Dominika Cibulkova bt. Francesca Schiavone: 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-2

Daria Gavrilova bt. Natalia Vikhlyantseva: 5-7, 6-4, 6-3

Zhang Shuai bt. Mihaela Buzarnescu: 6-3, 7-6 (2)

Anett Kontaveit bt. (12) CoCo Vandeweghe: 6-1, 6-1

(9) Sloane Stephens bt. Barbora Strycova: 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1

Recap

Djokovic's recent form has drawn some questions as to whether the Serb can get back to his best following his return from a lengthy lay-off, and a one-sided display against Dolgopolov on Monday suggests he's capable.

It's been 10 years since Djokovic won his first Italian Open title and three years since taking the most recent of his three crowns in Rome, but a win in less than an hour hinted his power levels are rising again, via Tennis TV:

The tournament's No. 11 seed also addressed the status of his coaching team after the match and spoke on whether it's possible he reunites with former mentor Boris Becker, per Metro's George Bellshaw:

Goffin was similarly relentless as he beat Mayer 6-1, 6-2, himself requiring only 62 minutes to dump the Argentinian out of the running, breaking his foe four times while suffering none of his own.

Lopez looked to be the party struggling more so in his first-round outing and capped a 7-5 (5), 6-4 defeat to Nishikori with a long, over-hit forehand, although he did have his own bright spots en route to the exit:

Japanese star Nishikori not long ago returned from serious injury and left as a deserved victor against Lopez, conceding more than one point in only three of his 11 service games, one of which was the lone break he suffered.

Lower down the order, Dutchman Robin Haase and Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber advanced after each beating Russian opponents. Haase took down Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, and Karen Khachanov was an even stiffer test for Kohlschreiber, falling 7-5, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6).

Rome rose to its feet in support of Sicilian sensation and wildcard pick Marco Cecchinato, too, after he thundered back from a set down to beat Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas 2-6, 7-5, 6-4:

Matteo Berrettini, 22, joined his Italian countryman in the second round by beating Fellow youngster, 20-year-old American Frances Tiafoe, 6-3, 7-6 (1). He'll face recently crowned Madrid Open champion Alexander Zverev on Wednesday.

Paire had managed to take two sets in five previous meetings against Gasquet, all of which were defeats, but he doubled his tally on Monday and won 6-4, 6-4, set to face either Diego Schwartzmann or Nicolas Jarry in the next round.

Vekic staged a surprise of her own and defeated clay specialist Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-2 in what was an out-of-character showing from the Spaniard on her preferred surface. 

It was better news for Konta, though as she broke No. 17 seed Rybarikova twice at the climax of their clash to head through with a 6-4, 6-3 win, via WTA:

There was Russian disappointment in the women's competition, too, when Keys soundly got the better of Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets and will take on Vekic next up.

Tennis writer Rene Denfeld admired Kontaveit's malleability on clay as one of the factors behind her 6-1, 6-1 destruction of Vandeweghe, where the American won only 25 of the 80 points played between the pair:

Ninth seed Sloane Stephens recovered from a stuttered start to defeat Barbora Strycova 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1 in the last match to finish on Monday, capping her victory with a five-game spree. She'll face Kaia Kanepi, who defeated Italy's Camilla Rosatello 6-1, 6-2 to advance.

Elsewhere, Australian duo Sam Stosur and Daria Gavrilova endured differing fortunes, the former losing out to Belgian Alison van Uytvanck in three sets, while the latter defeated Natalia Vikhlyantseva 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.