Emma Raducanu recovered from a set down to beat 17-year-old Czech qualifier Linda Noskova 6-7 7-5 6-1 and reach the second round of the French Open.
The defending US Open champion has struggled for consistency since her stunning run at Flushing Meadows last September, but she was not guilty of gifting openings to her younger opponent on this occasion, rather last year's junior champion at Roland Garros took the racket out of Raducanu's hand at times with explosive hitting off both wings.
But Raducanu, still only 19 herself, dug in and ground out perhaps her most impressive win since that memorable victory over Leylah Fernandez on Arthur Ashe Stadium eight months ago.
The first set to-and-froed, with Raducanu breaking twice for 2-0 and 4-2 leads, but both times she was pegged back, before successive holds for both players took the opener into a tie-break. Raducanu twice led the breaker by a mini-break, but after going 4-3 up lost four points in a row to fall a set behind.
The second set followed a similar pattern to the first, only this time it was Noskova who broke twice only to be broken back on both occasions as Raducanu levelled proceedings at four games apiece.
A gutsy forehand winner at 5-5 and deuce on her own serve proved Raducanu was capable of matching her opponent's fierce power from the baseline. The Briton went onto win the game with an unreturnable serve on the following point, and after an epic 12th game the match was all square - Raducanu changing it up with a drop shot to level proceedings at the fourth set point of asking.
Raducanu clearly had the upper hand at the beginning of the third set and led it 4-1 after 25 minutes. A further break followed before the world No.12 wrapped up the win in by far the most one-sided set of the pulsating encounter.
Speaking on-court after the match, Raducanu said: "It was an absolute battle, she was playing some amazing tennis, as soon as I dropped my ball speed she was all over me and killing me. It was really challenging to hold on in the second set so I'm really proud of the way I fought, but all props to Linda because she played an amazing match."
Asked what she hopes to achieve in her first main-draw appearance at the French Open, Raducanu responded: "I have no expectations of myself, I'm just happy to be competing here after Rome (when she withdrew with a back injury). I've fought hard to be here in the second round and I'm just looking forward to trying to stay as long as possible."
Raducanu will play world No.47 Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round on Wednesday.
