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MONTREAL — Still seeking her first win in Montreal, Leylah Fernandez said she had nerves before her first-round match on Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m playing in front of a home crowd, I want to do well for them,” she said.

But those jitters weren’t apparent as the 20-year-old from nearby Laval, Que., cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over American qualifier Peyton Stearns to advance to the second round at the National Bank Open and earn her first win in Montreal.

Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., couldn’t keep the Canadian momentum going in the evening session, losing 6-3, 6-2 to Italy’s Camila Giorgi in a battle of two former National Bank Open champions.

Fernandez barely left her result in doubt, taking control from the beginning and winning the women’s singles match in 76 minutes.

To get in the zone amid the added pressure of performing at home, Fernandez said she stuck to her usual pre-game routine of playing soccer to get loose and bumping some 1980s music — including her favourite song, “Don’t Stop Believin”’ by Journey.

Once on the court, Fernandez had the cheering partisan crowd in her ears to motivate her.

It was Fernandez’s first match at home since becoming a Grand Slam finalist at the 2021 U.S. Open. Last time out in Montreal in 2021, she lost in the opening round with the number of fans limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fernandez said it was a dream come true to get her first win in her hometown in front of a Centre Court crowd that grew steadily throughout the sunny afternoon at IGA Stadium.

“I’m super happy that I got my first one here in Montreal, it means the world to me,” she said. “The crowd was amazing. I felt their positivity, their emotions.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play here in front of a packed house and the crowd’s just been tremendous for me.”

Fernandez, who hit five aces and held serve all but once, went on the offensive early and broke Stearn’s serve twice en route to taking the opening set.

The Canadian carried that momentum and her aggressive play into the second, going up two breaks for an early 4-0 lead.

Up 5-1, the lefty Fernandez nearly broke Stearns a fifth time, hitting multiple impressive winners to earn a match-point opportunity and light up the crowd. Stearns, however, fended off the point and took the game. Fernandez then served to win the match in the ensuing game.

“Please come to the next match and cheer me on,” Fernandez told the fans on court after the victory.

On top of it being a breakthrough at home, Fernandez improved her singles record to 21-16 this year, a season she’s had trouble stringing together success.

Fernandez reached a career-high No. 13 ranking exactly one year ago Tuesday. Now she’s 81st and looking to climb back up.

She said she’s put the 2021 season that helped push her into the top 20 behind her and is looking ahead.

“In 2021 I was a completely different person,” she said. “Right now I have the experience, I’ve gone through some good times and bad times, and I think now I’m actually better than what I was doing in 2021.

“For 2023, 2021 is in the past, we try to forget about it and just build on what we have at the moment.”

In the next round, she’ll face No. 11 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil _ who beat Fernandez in the second round in Toronto last year.

Andreescu had the same partisan crowd behind her, but ran into a hot opponent in Giorgi.

The Italian qualifier, who won the tournament last time in Montreal, broke Andreescu once in the first set and fended off five breakpoints.

Giorgi then hit winner after winner in the second set, breaking Andreescu twice early to take a 4-0 lead. Though Andreescu fought back to win two games and save two match points, Giorgi held serve the rest of the way.

The 23-year-old Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, fell to 0-2 to start the hard-court season and showed her frustration at times, launching a ball into the crowd near the end of the second set.

Giorgi takes on No. 7 seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the next round.

Earlier Tuesday, Caroline Wozniacki made a triumphant return to tennis, defeating Kimberly Birrell of Germany in straight sets.

Wozniacki dominated from the start, securing a 6-2, 6-2 victory while pushing her Australian opponent across the court during rallies.

Wozniacki, a former World No. 1 and 2018 Australian Open champion, received a wild-card entry into the National Bank Open main draw after retiring in 2020 to start a family.

“I tried to explain to (two-year-old daughter) Olivia I was going to play a match, and she goes: ‘OK, Mama, I have a wish. I wish you win,”’ said Wozniacki.

The Dane will face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, who beat Mayar Sherif of Egypt 6-4, 6-2.

Later Tuesday, No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazhakstan played American Jennifer Brady in second-round action.

American Madison Keys, who beat Venus Williams on Monday, withdrew from the tournament. Italy’s Jasmine Paolini advances to the third round as a result.

In doubles play, Ottawa Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand defeated Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic and Donna Vekic of Croatia 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 to advance to the Round of 16.

The WTA 1000-level tournament runs through Sunday.