Fernandez was the highest seed to be in action in the men’s singles on the opening day of the event and was able to progress by beating the Japanese player 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.

The number five seed had begun slowly before he found his form to set up a meeting with Israel’s Amir Levi for a place in the last eight.

World number one Shingo Kunieda has opted not to compete at the event, meaning Belgian Joachim Gérard is the top seed for the tournament.

He is due to get his pursuit of the Sydney Wheelchair Tennis Open title underway when he takes on Frenchman Michael Jeremiasz tomorrow.

In the women’s singles competition, world number 11 Katharina Kruger was involved in a marathon contest before she eventually reached the next round with a 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 win in her contest with China’s Ziying Wang.

The match-up was the second meeting of the two players in less than a week after they clashed at the Queensland Open in Brisbane, where Kruger also emerged triumphant.

The German will next go up against Britain’s Lucy Shuker, the tournament’s sixth seed.

America's Parapan American Games silver medallist Kaitlyn Verfuerth is also through to round two after she saw off the challenge of Australian Sarah Calati by virtue of a 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 victory.

Paralympic bronze medallist Jamie Burdekin of Britain was one of the standout performers on the first day of the quad singles event as he breezed to a commanding 6-3, 6-0 win over Chinese Taipei’s Chu-Yin Huang.

The Briton will now take on Australia’s Dylan Alcott, winner of two Grand Slam singles titles in 2015 by beating David Wagner at both the Australian Open and US Open to finish the year as world number one for the first time.

Japan’s Mitsuteru Moroishi enjoyed a successful day as she beat Chinese Taipei’s Tzu-Hsuan Huang 6-2, 6-3.

World number five Itay Erenlib of Israel lies in wait for the Japanese player in the next round of the event, part of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour.