Jannik Sinner makes light work of fellow Italian Luca Nardi in Wimbledon opener

World number one Jannik Sinner announced himself at this year’s Wimbledon with a statement win over fellow Italian Luca Nardi.

The 23-year-old dropped only seven games in a comprehensive 6-4 6-3 6-0 victory in an hour and 48 minutes.

Sinner slammed down nine aces among 28 winners and lost only 12 points behind his own serve.

The three-time grand slam winner has only reached the semi-finals here once, in 2023, but all roads seem to be leading to a showdown with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz a week on Sunday in a repeat of their epic five-set French Open final, won by the Spaniard, last month.

While Alcaraz toiled to a five-set, four-and-a-half hour win over 38-year-old Fabio Fognini on Monday, Sinner was not hanging around as he raced into round two, where he will meet Australian Aleksandar Vukic.

“New tournament, new chances, new challenges,” he said. “You have one opponent at a time so obviously I try to keep going and enjoy playing here.

“If you don’t enjoy to play on these courts, I don’t know where you will enjoy. I’m very happy to be here and let’s see what’s coming.”

Another Italian, seventh seed Lorenzo Musetti, was knocked out by Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia.

A 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1 defeat was not a major surprise, however, as Musetti has been recovering from a thigh injury since Roland Garros and was forced to withdraw from Queen’s last month.