Emma Raducanu came out on top in the battle of the US Open champions as she eliminated former world No 3 Sloane Stephens from the Australian Open in Melbourne.
The general perception is that Raducanu has struggled on court since her record-breaking triumph at Flushing Meadows last September, especially after she was crushed 6-0 6-1 by world No 12 Elena Rybakina in Sydney last week, but the teenager showed plenty of resilience on the way to beating 2017 US Open champion Stephens in three sets.
Raducanu raced into a one-set lead in just 18 minutes, breaking her American opponent three times in a row to clinch a bagel 6-0 set.
But she did not have it all her own way in the second set, as Stephens began to find her range and levelled the match with three breaks for a 6-2 set.
Both women took a bathroom break before the decider, and when they emerged Raducanu found herself under pressure immediately, falling 15-30 behind on serve in the opening game.
Raducanu reeled off three points on the bounce to hold and that appeared to galvanise her, as she became more animated, and that aided her in the following game as she broke Stephens for a 2-0 lead.
Another two games followed for Raducanu, and at 40-0 up on serve it looked as though she was about to go 5-0 up in the third, only for Stephens to bring the game back to deuce in a last-stand effort.
The 19-year-old's mental fortitude - helped by a shocking Stephens volley - saw her ride that mini storm and move to within a game of the second round, and she ultimately got the job done, winning the final set 6-1.
Raducanu's match was the sixth and final involving a Brit on day two of the tournament in Melbourne, after earlier wins for Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Heather Watson.
Murray outlasted Nikoloz Basilashvili in a five-setter, while Evans comprehensively beat the Belgian David Goffin in straight sets, and Watson overcame Mayar Sherif of Egypt.
Qualifier Liam Broady was downed in straight sets by home favourite Nick Kyrgios, while Harriet Dart was comprehensively beaten by world No 9 and 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek.
