Raducanu battles past Martincova as Britain level Billie Jean King Cup tie

In almost all other tennis careers, players tend to have the benefit of making their first mistakes in relative silence. The first steps on a new surface usually take place in the anonymity of the ITF circuit or in the back courts of a lower level tour event - they learn, they grow, and then eventually they thrive on their terms.

It is fair to say that such avenues are no longer open to Emma Raducanu. On Friday she was charged with finding her feet on clay as the No 1 player for her country against the dominant nation in the sport. Moments earlier, her teammate, Harriet Dart, had managed to win just one game in the opening rubber. The pressure was undeniable.

Yet she rose to the moment admirably, recovering from doubtful deficits in both sets through the strength of her grit and perseverance, eventually overcoming No 50 Tereza Martincova 7-5, 7-5 to win on her Billie Jean King Cup debut and keep Great Britain in contention. Earlier in the day, Marketa Vondrousova opened the tie by eviscerating Dart 6-1, 6-0, meaning the BJK Cup Qualifier with the Czech Republic is finely poised at 1-1 ahead of the final day.

“This one means so much to me because it is my first match in the Billie Jean King Cup,” said Raducanu afterwards. “To represent my team and come out here for my first professional match on a clay court is really amazing. We are still in this battle. It’s all to play for tomorrow.”

As the attritional exchanges took hold in frequent gusts of wind, Martincova continually picked apart the Raducanu forehand, challenging her to dictate off her weaker wing while grinding her down. It slowly worked as Martincova broke serve at 4-4 and generated a set point as she attempted to serve out the set.

But as the match wore on,