Novak Djokovic marked his return from a right wrist injury by beating Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-3, 7-5 in the second round of the Rome Masters on Tuesday.
With both new coach Boris Becker and long-time adviser Marian Vajda on hand, Djokovic showed no signs of pain after withdrawing from last week’s Madrid Open.
The second-ranked Serb was troubled only as he attempted to close the match out, dropping his serve twice late in the second set.
Djokovic, a two-time Rome champion, committed just nine unforced errors to Stepanek’s 27.
It was in sharp contrast from Djokovic’s last match — a defeat to Roger Federer in the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals last month — when he had his wrist heavily strapped and was unable to serve or return at his usual level.
In first-round women’s play, Italian wild-card Camila Giorgi upset ninth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 7-6(2).
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga moved within one victory of 300 match wins after defeating Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 7-6(5) in the first round.
Italian Fabio Fognini’s hopes for a successful showing on home soil came to an early end, as he bowed out against Czech Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-2.
The results: Rome Masters: Second round: Novak Djokovic bt Radek Stepanek 6-3, 7-5; Stanislas Wawrinka bt Pere Riba 6-0, 6-3. First round: Marin Cilic bt Santiago Giraldo 6-4, 2-0 (retd.); Andrey Golubev bt Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 7-5; Ernests Gulbis bt Alejandro Falla 6-1 (retd.); Kevin Anderson bt Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 7-6(4); Ivo Karlovic bt Pablo Carreno Busta 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4); Simone Bolelli bt Stefano Travaglia 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5); Pere Riba bt Paolo Lorenzi 7-6(3), 6-3; Lukas Rosol bt Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-2; Gilles Simon bt Filippo Volandri 6-2, 6-3; Stephane Robert bt Alberto Gonzalez 1-6, 6-4, 6-1; Mikhail Youzhny bt Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-4; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 7-6(5).
WTA Italian Open: First round: Camilla Giorgi bt Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 7-6(2); Garbine Muguruza bt Natassia Burnett 6-1, 6-3; Belinda Bencic bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Christina McHale bt Sorona Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Paola Ormaechea bt Kurumi Nara 6-4, 6-3; Francesca Schiavone bt Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-2; Sloane Stephens bt Bojana Jovanovski 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Casey Dellacqua bt Magdalena Rybarikova 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; Venus Williams bt Andrea Beck 6-3, 6-1; Samantha Stosur bt Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 6-3; Andrea Petkovic bt Romina Oprandi 6-3, 6-0; Flavia Pennetta bt Yvonne Meusburger 6-2, 6-3.
