The US Open champion’s clash with the 50th Teresa Martinkova was not only her debut for Great Britain, but also her first professional fight on dirt – another example of the remarkable career of the 19-year-old. The pressure was on Raducanu after the 55th minute 6-1 6-0 of Harriet Dart by Marketa Vondrousova and they withstood the challenge impressively, winning 7-5 7-5. It was just Raducanu’s third win of the season – with Martincova the highest-scoring player to win in New York – and it was particularly satisfying after a series of struggles in which it failed to build strong starts. “This victory definitely meant a lot to me, because this year I won a lot of first sets, I was ahead in races and closing in two sets gave me a lot of confidence,” said the 19-year-old. “And just for the team, we’re still in it, we’re fighting, everything is to play for tomorrow. And it ‘s my first game on the ground in four years, it’ s pretty crazy. I do not know how it was so much.” Raducanu last played on the surface in 2018 at the French Open juniors, but this performance was remarkable for the way she learned as she progressed, saving sets at 4-5 in the first game and then counterattacking from 1-4 in the second. . “What satisfied me the most was the adjustment I had to make because the conditions changed a lot, it was sunny and then cold and then there was a lot of wind,” he said. “Also on the ground there are a lot of bad bounces, so I had a hard time with that and I had to find a way to adapt. And I am very happy with the way I managed to increase my intensity after 1-4 in the second put and overcame this dive.” . The victory was necessary for Britain, if it wants to cause a big upset against the eternal champions, with the one-sided defeat of Dart by the former finalist of the French Open, Vondrousova, a proof of the magnitude of their mission. Chief Anne Keothavong said: “First and foremost I thought it was a really generous show from Emma and it took a lot of effort to close this match in a straight set. “I think we have to go tomorrow believing we have a good chance. We came here as outsiders, the Czechs were big favorites and they are still the big favorites.” Three points are needed for the victory and, first on Saturday, Raducanu will try to win the second against Vondrousova in an extremely interesting match. Raducanu comfortably beat the 22-year-old in the second round of Wimbledon last year, when she was an unknown quantity on the world stage, but this is not only Vondrousova’s best surface, the draw is also played at the Cesky club where she grew up. . “I feel the grass and the soil are polar opposites, so it will be a different match,” Raducanu said. “It’s the home surface, it’s the home game, but I’m looking forward to it. It will be a big challenge and probably the toughest opponent I will play in the first days on the pitch, so it will be a big test to see where I am. and build for the rest of the season. “I consider every match a learning experience, but the team is so excited about tomorrow.” Both leaders have the option to change teams and an interesting possibility for Keothavong could be 20-year-old Sonay Kartal, who has been in excellent form in lower-level matches for the past six months.