Maricris Fernandez on Tuesday showed no rust from a seven-year absence from competition when she won her opening round match at the Holcim-ITF Women’s Circuit Week 1 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Although the 6-1, 6-2 win came at the expense of a qualifier, Yoko Naito of Japan, Fernandez savored the victory as a major step in her preparations for the Southeast Asian Games next month as a member of the national team.

Fernandez is now the only local bet alive after Fil-American Riza Zalameda lost to fourth pick Yoo Mi of Korea, 6-3, 6-1.

Fernandez, who is based in Los Angeles, put her young rival on the defensive with pinpoint groundstrokes and proved quicker than Naito who, at 20 years old, is 10 years younger than the Filipina who took victory in a little over an hour.

“It feels good to win again,” Fernandez said, who last played on the same grounds in 2002.

“I’ve got no expectations in this tournament. I’d like to enjoy this and have fun but at the same time, I want to be as competitive as I can,” she said.

Fernandez will next meet the winner between Koreans Kim Jung-eun and Han Sung-hee, who are playing at presstime.

Fernandez and partner, Anna Clarice Patrimonio, however, lost their doubles opener to Chinese third seed He Sirui and Liu Shaozhuo, 5-7, 6-2, 10-7, Tuesday afternoon.

Fernandez started hot and won the first five games before Naito posted her first point by breaking the Filipina in the sixth game.

That proved to be Naito’s only game in the first set and Fernandez surrendered just two more to breeze through to the next round.