Jannik Sinner put his friendship with Lorenzo Sonego on the back burner in a 6-0, 6-3 win over his fellow Italian on Saturday at the Madrid Masters.
Top seed Sinner reached the third round after a bye with his 69-minute success on the clay.
“I know Lorenzo quite well. We have a good friendship off the court, we play Davis Cup together, we practise a lot together,” Sinner said.
“The mental side was a little bit different than it used to be, so I’m just happy how I handled the situation.
“He didn’t play at his best. I think we saw this. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”
Sinner wasted no time in getting started, running out a 5-0 career record in the series between compatriots, breaking four times on the way to victory.
The holder of three titles this season including the Australian Open and Miami Masters improved to 26-2 on the season.
