Fernandez, Stolarz advance to quarterfinals at Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

STUTTGART — Canadian Leylah Fernandez and Hungarian partner Fanny Stolarz booked their place in the doubles quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Monday, dispatching China’s Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan 6-3, 6-2 in first-round action.

Playing together for the first time at the WTA 500 clay-court event, the unseeded pair struck three aces and converted three of seven break-point opportunities while surrendering only one service break to their opponents.

The victory sets up a meeting with either German wild cards Noma Noha Akugue and Ella Seidel or fourth seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, whose opening match was scheduled later in the day.

Fernandez, a native of Laval, Que., has experimented with a rotating doubles lineup this season, previously teaming with Venus Williams, Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic before joining forces with Stolarz in Stuttgart.

The Canadian-Hungarian tandem will look to continue their winning momentum when quarterfinal play resumes at the Porsche-Arena later this week.