Emma Raducanu had to grind through her opening round match at the French Open, but she came out on top to set up a mouth-watering match against Iga Swiatek.
It is arguably the outstanding tie of all the round two matches, pitting two former Grand Slam champions against one another early on in the tournament.
And, as a testament to her progression as a player, many suggest that the 23-year-old has a fighting chance against the five-time major winner. That is, if she is fully fit, with Raducanu offering a fitness update after receiving a medical timeout during that first-round win.
Emma Raducanu represents a growing contingent of top-quality British tennis players, seeking to reaffirm that notion at Roland Garros this year.
Naturally, she is proud to be a part of this growing and improving group.
Emma Raducanu assesses the standard of British tennis
Asked about the standard of British tennis following a strong day for her compatriots in the French capital, Raducanu was unsurprisingly complimentary.
She stated: ‘I am really happy to see Jacob [Fearnley] do well because I played some juniors with him at under-10 and under-12 [level], so I had seen him around a lot when we were younger.
‘Then when he went to college I did not see him around so much, but to see him doing so well – and the last year how he has shot through in the rankings and is now playing so well here against someone who has won the tournament before is really good to see.
‘In general in British tennis right now we have very healthy competition. Everyone is doing ‘well and it inspires the other one to push and want to do the same.
‘So I think it’s a really healthy environment and it’s good for all of us to take that into the grass.’
How did British players perform at the French Open on Monday?
Raducanu was one of four British players who got their French Open tournaments underway yesterday, and it was largely a day of success.
As she touches on earlier, Jacob Fearnley arguably enjoyed the scalp of the day by knocking out the former champion, Stan Wawrinka, in straight sets.
Despite being 40 years old, overcoming a legend like the Swiss superstar deserves praise.
Elsewhere, Katie Boulter battled back from a set down to beat Frenchwoman Carole Monnet in her own backyard, whilst Jodie Burrage battled well despite losing to Danielle Collins in straight sets.
Raducanu also overcame great adversity, beating Wang Xinyu despite losing the second set and battling illness.
Jack Draper, Cam Norrie and Sonay Kartal all play today.
