Intro:

Top seed Novak Djokovic advanced into the third round of the ATP Internazionali d'Italia with a three-set win over Nicolas Almagro in Rome on Tuesday.

Script:

Having received a first round bye, Novak Djokovic began the defence of his ATP Internazionali d'Italia title on Tuesday, facing Nicolas Almagro in the second round.

Going into the match, Almagro had lost all three of his previous ATP Tour meetings with Djokovic - the first coming seven years ago in Rome - failing to win a set in the process.

The Spaniard once again had no answer to the world number one's dominance in the first set of Tuesday's match - Djokovic taking it 6-1.

However, Djokovic hadn't played since winning in Monte Carlo last month and the three week lay-off appeared to effect the Serb in the second set, which Almagro won in a tiebreak, 7-5.

Djokovic, a three-time champion at Foro Italico, bounced back in the decider and served out a hard-fought 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Sam Querrey were also in action on Tuesday.

World number 14 Tsonga edged the first set in a tiebreak, but ran riot in the second set, breaking Querrey three times on the way to completing a 7-6 (6), 6-0 win.

Like Djokovic, Tomas Berdych received a first round bye before getting his week underway, taking on wildcard Matteo Donati.

The Italian youngster, who won his ATP Tour debut on Sunday, was no match for the world number five as Berdych took a 6-2, 6-4 win.

Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer followed Berdych into the third round, edging past France's Richard Gasquet in two sets, 6-4, 7-5.