The British number one, who missed last week’s Berlin Open as she managed a back problem, triumphed 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-1.
Emma Raducanu was visibly emotional as she resumed her Wimbledon preparations, coming from a set down to defeat American Ann Li in the first round of the Eastbourne Open.
In challenging weather conditions, the British number one, who sat out last week’s Berlin Open due to a back issue, emerged victorious with a 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-1 win.
Raducanu has been grappling with this problem since competing in Strasbourg prior to the French Open and took an off-court medical timeout during her quarter-final defeat at Queen’s Club earlier this month.
However, apart from a tumble on the grass in the first set, she seemed to navigate her initial match at Devonshire Park without any issues.
Her two-hour and 18-minute triumph over world number 64 Li sets up a second-round encounter with 19 year old Australian Maya Joint, who ousted two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur on Monday.
The seventh seed Raducanu displayed a heartfelt reaction after securing her advancement with a superb backhand winner.
“It feels incredible. I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments,” the former US Open champion expressed in her on-court interview.
“It really meant a lot to me and I’m really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set. I’m very, very happy to come through that.
“It was tough, it was up and down, but from the middle of the second set I think I found another gear and a another level.”
Harriet Dart was left devastated after failing to convert two match points on serve, resulting in a heartbreaking loss to reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.
The tumultuous encounter, which included two interruptions in the first set due to rain, saw the British number four come tantalisingly close to notching one of her career’s most significant victories. However, Krejcikova rallied from the brink to claim a 6-3 6-7 (4) 7-5 win in a gruelling two-hour and forty-minute battle.
Krejcikova, who avoided an upset after her Wimbledon triumph over Jasmine Paolini last year, advances to the second round where she’ll face another British player, Jodie Burrage, following Burrage’s convincing 6-3 6-2 victory against Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.
Displaying visible discontent, Dart couldn’t contain her vexation after missing critical moments against the world number 17 and 2021 French Open champion, her anguish evident as she screamed when the game ultimately eluded her.
Despite her current sorrow, the 28 year old has experienced success against top-tier opponents, twice overcoming players ranked above Krejcikova. Dart stunned then-ninth-ranked Daria Kasatkina at the 2022 US Open and later vanquished the world number 13 Paula Badosa at the Billie Jean King Cup that same year.
Dart reflected on the match with a tone of exasperation and incredulity: “Some crazy, crazy conditions today. I was pretty close. I missed a ball on match point and then she played a really good other point on my other match point and then she becomes a bit freer. It was a tough match overall.
