Australia’s Daria Gavrilova and Sam Stosur are through to the second round of the Madrid Open clay court event after the pair chalked up victories on Sunday.

World No.39 Gavrilova won with a hard-fought 7-5 6-4 success over Britain’s Heather Watson in exactly two hours as she builds towards the French Open in Paris starting on May 16.

Gavrilova will now face Ukrainian world No.17 Elina Svitolina for a place in the third round.

Stosur brushed aside Sara Sorribes of Spain 6-1 6-3 in under and hour and will now meet Czech lef-hander Lucie Safarova.

World No.3 and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber was dumped out 6-4 6-2 by Barbora Strycova after committing three double faults and was being broken in a little over an hour.

The 33rd-ranked Strycova will face Madison Keys in the second round after she rallied past fellow American Alison Riske 1-6 6-3 6-4.

Home favourite Garbine Muguruza, the third-seeded Spaniard, had little trouble advancing past Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2 7-5, breaking her serve six times.

Their match was plagued by poor serving by both players, who combined for 12 double faults.

Seventh-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci lost 6-4 6-2 to Danka Kovinic, while eighth-seeded Carla Suarez fought back 3-6 6-2 6-3 against Timea Babos.

Karolina Pliskova brushed off Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-2 6-1.