Italian open: Alcaraz, Sabalenka advance

Carlos Alcaraz returned from a brief injury layoff with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic at the Italian Open here on Friday.

The third-ranked Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open last month due to an upper right leg ailment that bothered him during the Barcelona Open final. He also had a left leg injury.

Against Lajovic, Alcaraz wore a long black brace that covered the upper portion of his right leg and stretched down to just below his knee.

Alcaraz, who won the Monte Carlo Masters in April, improved to 10-1 on clay this season. Alcaraz is preparing to defend his title at the French Open, which starts May 25.

In the women’s tournament, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka opened with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Anastasia Potapova.