Top seeds Jasmine Paolini and Emma Navarro lived up to expectations at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Tuesday evening, swiftly securing their places in the second round of the WTA 500 indoor clay event in Stuttgart, Germany.
No. 5 seed Paolini from Italy dominated Eva Lys, winning 6-2, 6-1 in just 1 hour and 4 minutes in the opening match of the night session. This victory brings Paolini closer to repeating her quarterfinal appearance from the previous year.
World No. 68 Lys, entering Stuttgart as Germany`s top-ranked player for the first time, couldn`t withstand Paolini`s strong return game on Tuesday.
In her post-match interview, Paolini acknowledged the German crowd`s support for Lys, saying, `[Lys] is such a nice girl, and I`m sorry [to] you guys,` which drew warm applause. `I have to do my job, as best as I can!` she added.
Paolini showcased her dominance in return games, winning an impressive 73 percent of points on Lys`s first serve and converting 6 out of 8 break point opportunities. Her record against Lys improves to 2-0 (4-0 in sets).
Next, World No. 6 Paolini will face another German player, wild card Jule Niemeier, in the second round. Paolini holds a 2-0 advantage over Niemeier, with both wins dating back to 2022.
Later in the evening, No. 7 seed Navarro of the United States made a strong debut at the Stuttgart tournament, defeating Brazil`s Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-0.
In their 1 hour and 16-minute match, Navarro, ranked in the Top 20, hit 24 winners compared to Haddad Maia`s eight. Navarro capitalized on four of her nine break points and did not concede her serve throughout the match.
`I’ve had many long matches and three-set matches this year,` Navarro commented afterward. `Finishing a match a bit quicker feels great. I’m happy with my form… It’s my first tournament on red clay this season, so I’m embracing it and enjoying myself out here.`
Despite having lost to Haddad Maia twice on clay last year, Navarro turned the tables in their Tuesday encounter. The World No. 11 continues her pursuit of her second WTA 500 title this year, following her victory at the WTA 500 Merida on hard court in March.
For Haddad Maia, this loss marks her ninth consecutive defeat since reaching the third round of the 2025 Australian Open.
Navarro`s next challenge will be against former Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 Roland Garros winner, in their first-ever career match in the second round.
