Emma Raducanu won her first match in nearly two months and her first grass-court match in nearly two years as she beat Ena Shibahara in straight sets in first round of the Nottingham Open on Tuesday.
Raducanu, who had not played on grass in 713 days, claimed a 6-1, 6-4 victory to advance to the second round.
The Brit missed Wimbledon last year due to wrist and ankle surgeries and skipped the French Open to focus on her fitness, having not played since losing in the first round of the Madrid Open in April.
Speaking after the match, she said: ‘It’s amazing to be playing on home turf, it’s been so long since I last played in the UK really.
‘I played in France earlier this year and at the French it was very loud, but the other way. To come here and feel like everyone is really behind me is really nice. I’m cherishing every moment of that too.’
Emma Raducanu got grass-court season off to a winning start with a straight sets victory
It was the 21-year-old’s first match on the surface in 713 days due to injury problems
‘It’s been quite a few weeks since I last played a competitive match so I didn’t really know how it would go.
‘I think my intentions were great from the start. I think I played a really good match and inevitably when you’re 6-1, 5-1 up something could probably go wrong.
‘I was trying just not to let it go to my head and just prepare and fight for each point, knowing that even though I lost three games in a row, I still had a chance to win that last game.
‘All credit to Ena, she was making it very tricky on the grass court with the serve and volley, it’s tough to find a way past but I’m very pleased with how I dealt with the circumstances today.’
