Britain’s number one Cameron Norrie got off to a winning start at the Italian Open with a straight-set victory over Frenchman Alexandre Muller.
World number 13 Norrie won 6-2 6-3 at Foro Italico in Rome.
Norrie, 27, will face Australian Alex de Minaur or Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in the third round on Sunday.
Qualifier Muller had beaten Britain’s Kyle Edmund in the first round on Wednesday in his first main draw match in a Masters 1000 tournament.
Elsewhere on Friday, home favorite and eighth seed Jannik Sinner beat Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1 6-4.
The 21-year-old Italian, who will face either Alexander Shevchenko or Sebastian Baez in the last 32, didn’t drop a point on his serve in the opening set.
There hasn’t been an Italian winner of the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
Increased jackpot for Roland-Garros
This year’s French Open prize pool has increased by 12.3 per cent from 2022 to €49.6m (£43.1m), Grand Slam organizers announced on Friday.
The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive €2.3m (£2m), while the men’s and women’s doubles prize money has increased by 4%.
In the meantime. prize money for wheelchair and quad competitions is €810,000 (£705,000), up 40 per cent from 2022.
The French Open begins on May 28 at Roland Garros.
