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05/09 09:10 CDT Alcaraz beats Lajovic in return from injury at Italian Open; No. 1 Sabalenka advances Alcaraz beats Lajovic in return from injury at Italian Open; No. 1 Sabalenka advances By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer ROME (AP) --- Carlos Alcaraz returned from a brief injury layoff with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic at the Italian Open 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. "The body felt great," Alcaraz said. "I just moved well. I made a few good sprints today without any pain. ... It was a test for me so I think I passed the test today." "It was a great performance, great level, which was surprising for me a little bit, but just really happy for that," Alcaraz added. Alcaraz won the opening four games but dropped his serve when he served for the first set at 5-2. The Spaniard broke back in the next game to close it out, showing off his speed on the clay court at the Foro Italico when he ran down a drop shot and produced a backhand winner on one key point. Alcaraz also went ahead early in the second set. He finished with the same number of winners as unforced errors --- 24. Alcaraz, who won the Monte Carlo Masters in April, improved to 10-1 on clay this season. He'll next face either 31st-seeded Alex Michelsen or Laslo Djere. A four-time Grand Slam champion, Alcaraz is preparing to defend his title at the French Open, which starts May 25. The Rome tournament also marks the return of top-ranked Jannik Sinner from a three-month doping ban. Sinner and Alcaraz are in opposite sides of the draw. Sinner opens against 99th-ranked Mariano Navone on Saturday. In the women's tournament, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka opened with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Anastasia Potapova. ___ AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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