An emotional Emma Raducanu produced an impressive fightback to reach the second round at Eastbourne and keep her Wimbledon preparations on track.
British number one Raducanu trailed American Ann Li by a set and a break in difficult conditions on the south coast.
But the 22-year-old wrestled control of a topsy-turvy second set before finishing strongly to clinch a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1 victory.
Raducanu, who held back tears after securing victory, will meet Australian teenager Maya Joint for a place in the quarter-finals.
“I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview.
“It really meant a lot to me and I’m really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set.
“It was tough, it was up and down. But from the middle of the second set I think I found another gear and another level.”
World number 38 Raducanu is building towards her fourth Wimbledon appearance, where she has twice reached the fourth round since her debut in 2021.
A run to the quarter-finals at Queen’s was enough to see the 2021 US Open champion regain the British number one title for the first time in two years earlier this month.
But Raducanu missed last week’s Berlin Open as she continues to manage a back issue – and, a fortnight on from Queen’s, she was given a stern test by 64th-ranked Li amid strong winds on the south coast.
Despite recovering from a 3-0 deficit in the first set, Raducanu fell short in a tie-break which she had led 5-3 and had to stretch out her leg after slipping at the back of court in the 11th game.
