Twelve-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic from Serbia, who surprisingly lost to Great Britain's Kyle Edmund in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open last week and has been seeded 11th for this tournament, cruised past Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov in his first match at the Foro Italico by a convincing 6-1, 6-3 scoreline.

Elsewhere in the men's draw, ninth seed David Goffin of Belgium, who also lost to Edmund in Madrid last week, recorded a similarly comfortable 6-1, 6-2 win against Argentina's Leonardo Mayer.

Spain's Pablo Carreño Busta, the tenth favourite for the tournament, was the other seeded player to make it to the next round of the men’s competition today thanks to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 win against Jared Donaldson of the United States.

Over in the women's draw, Donaldson's compatriot Madison Keys came through her first round tie against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova by a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 margin.

The only seeded player to exit the tournament was 13th seed Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, who lost to Johanna Konta for the second time in eight days following the Briton's first round win at the Madrid Open last week.

Today's match saw Konta record a 6-4, 6-3 win over her 29-year-old opponent.

The event is a key warm-up to the French Open, the clay court Grand Slam which begins on May 27.

It is an Association of Tennis Professionals Masters 1000 tournament and a Premier 5 event on the Women's Tennis Association tour.