Top-ranked Novak Djokovic returned from three weeks off and showed some signs of rust in a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over Nicolás Almagro at the Italian Open in Rome.
In women’s action, top-ranked Serena Williams cruised past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-1, 6-3, and third-seeded Maria Sharapova opened her bid for a third Rome title with a second-round win over 52nd-ranked Jarmila Gajdosova, who retired with a shoulder injury.
A version of this brief appears in print on May 13, 2015, on page B14 of the New York edition with the headline: Djokovic and Serena Williams Win.