Italy's Jasmine Paolini turned on the afterburners after going behind following an error-strewn first set

Rome (AFP) - Jasmine Paolini launched her Italian Open title defence on Thursday by battling back from a set down to beat France’s Leolia Jeanjean 6-7 (⁴⁄₇), 6-2, 6-4.

Home hope Paolini is bidding to become the first Italian woman to retain the title in Rome, but started slowly at the Foro Italico.

The world number eight turned on the afterburners after going behind following an error-strewn first set, comfortably turning around the match to secure a spot in the third round, where she will meet Elise Mertens.

“This match was a bit of up and downs, for sure. But I remember last year, I mean, also a lot of up and downs during the tournament,” said Paolini.

Coco Gauff, who lost to Paolini in last year’s final, made short work of Tereza Valentova in the reigning French Open champions’ opening match of the tournament.

American star Gauff beat Valentova 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 34 minutes in front of a sparsely-populated centre court, and will play one of Solana Sierra or Anhelina Kalinina in the next round.

World number one and favourite for the women’s title in the Italian capital, Aryna Sabalenka will face Barbora Krejcikova in the final match of the day on centre court.

Sabalenka, who lost last year’s Roland Garros final to Gauff, has never won the Italian Open, with her run to the final two years ago, when she was lost to Iga Swiatek, her best result.

Paolini’s compatriot Matteo Berrettini fell at the first hurdle, 6-2, 6-3, to Alexei Popyrin, a defeat which will see the former Wimbledon finalist drop out of the top 100 in the men’s rankings.

The Rome native has had a hideous time with abdominal injuries in recent years, and since the start of the season – when he had to pull out of the Australian Open – he has won just nine matches and lost 10.

“It was a pretty bad day, I had no energy and I wasn’t able to use the energy of the crowd,” said Berrettini.

“This year started in a particular way, and the only way I can move forward is to accept that there will be days like this.”

Another Italian in Lorenzo Sonego was dumped out at the first time of asking, the 30-year-old seen off in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 by Peru’s Ignacio Buse on centre court.