Emma Raducanu hopes victory in her first ever professional match on a clay court can help to put an end to her disappointing 2022 form.
The teenager has the unenviable task of learning her trade while fully in the public eye. Her shock US Open victory last September came before she was a regular tour player, and so her struggle for form since has been, at the very least understandable.
Raducanu completed another first on Friday as she played a professional match on a clay court for the very first time. Doing so against a capable opponent in Tereza Martincova a few minutes after team-mate Harriet Dart had been blown away added even more pressure, but it was a challenge she proved to be very much up for.
