Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, the 10th seed, was pushed to three sets by hard-hitting American Jared Donaldson, but held on before flattening his opponent in the decider to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 in the Italain Open on Monday.
In the women’s section, Roberta Vinci called time on her career after exiting in the opening round. Vinci was beaten 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 by Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic in an emotionally charged encounter in front of a packed crowd on Court Pietrangeli.
The 35-year-old had announced her intention to retire from tennis after the tournament, and her exit brings down the curtain on her 20-year career in the sport. “I tried to say, ‘Okay, this is probably the last day, so try to enjoy, and try to smile,” she told reporters after the match.
Important results (first round): Women: Kaia Kanepi bt Camilla Rosatello 6-1, 6-2; Dominika Cibulkova bt Francesca Schiavone 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2; Johanna Konta bt Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 6-3; Aleksandra Krunic bt Roberta Vinci 2-6, 6-0, 6-3; Alison Van Uytvanck bt Samantha Stosur 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2.
Men: Philipp Kohlschreiber bt Karen Khachanov 7-5, 6-7(7), 7-6(6); Pablo Carreno Busta bt Jared Donaldson 6-4, 3-6, 6-0; Marco Cecchinato bt Pablo Cuevas 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; David Goffin bt Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-2 .
