A year after finishing her A-levels, Emma Raducanu has won at least four Grand Slam tournaments – and none of them was tougher than the one she won at the French Open on Monday night.
In the rain, wind and glitter, on a surface that still hides many of its secrets, she had to face a fellow teenager who refuted her age with the almighty blow she gave the ball.
Twice in the second set, Raducanu survived to make the second round, thanks to a 6-7 7-5 6-1 victory over Linda Noskova, which took two hours and 40 minutes. Wimbledon and the US Open may have been more spectacular, but none of them requires more physical effort.
Emma Raducanu defeated another teenager Linda Noskova to reach the second round of the French Open
“It was an absolute battle,” she said afterward. “As soon as I slowed down the ball, it overtook me and killed me at the end of the first set.”
In a way, Raducanu seemed to be playing a version of himself from New York. The 17-year-old Noskova and the reigning champion of the French Open for juniors is considered to be the latest gemstone from the rich stitch of Czech tennis.
Although there was a huge deficit in the standings – 12 against 184 – there was a shock from the new for her opponent, who was exacerbated by passing through the qualifiers.
Raducanu later said how different it was to face someone who was younger: “I was just thinking about the experience I gained during the tour and that she is new to the tour,” she said.
Qualifier Noskova takes first set, but Raducanu fights to avoid serious upset in Paris
“It helps a bit when you’re brand new and just rocking, you’re free, and I think she definitely did. Still, I knew that if I went through some really difficult moments in the second set, it could get to her. I was really good physically, I thought I would surpass her.
They will certainly meet again, because Noskova crunches the ball with a rare sense of time. She made the backhand down the line look completely simple, but fortunately made enough unforced errors along with the many winners who often left the Flushing Meadows champion flat-footed.
The match was hers to win, but it was Raducanu who showed more composure at the end of the second set, and her opponent was weakened after that.
There was no replication the last time a prominent British woman met a Czech on this spectacular court built in the botanical garden adjacent to Roland Garros.
Britain’s Radukanu was helpless in the first half of the draw against the impressive Noskova
That was three years ago in the semifinals, when Jo Konta squandered a promising start against Marketa Vondrousova, missing out on a volley that would have given her the first set.
Instead of succeeding Virginia Wade as the British Grand Slam champion, Raducanu turned out to be meeting Alexandra Sasnovich, a Belarusian still allowed to play here.
The British player certainly needs to learn more about clay – such as applying the kind of drop shot that eventually won her second set – but completing a series of Majors victories when so new to the tour is a quietly impressive achievement.
It took Dan Evans until his 32nd birthday yesterday to win Roland Garros for the first time.
The level of tennis in the show was high, but Noskova was eventually overcome by her opponent
His 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Argentine Francisco Cherundolo, much more at home on the surface, was celebrated by him, mimicking the swing of a golf club.
Evans later explained that he was awake on Sunday night, watching the USPGA Championship culminate later than it should have been.
“My lady made me sleep like they do,” he said. I wanted to watch more, but I got up early. So I actually missed one of the best endings ever – I was a little gone this morning.
Evans, frustrated that he has not been denied a chance to improve his Wimbledon environment, now has a chance to strengthen his position when he faces world No. 96 Michael Immer of Sweden.
Raducanu found her balance in the third set and said she was “proud” of her fighting spirit
There is also a winning second round for Kam Nori, who will face Australian qualifier Jason Kubler.
The British number one made a quick turnaround from winning the ATP title in Lyon on Saturday, but shed light on that by rejecting French wildcard Manuel Ginar with 7-5, 6-2, 6-0.
It was his fifth consecutive victory on clay and was the first component of a decent enough day for a British contingent without Andy Murray.
The other two in action made a slight impression on the goal scorers. On her most unloved surface, Harriet Darth lost 6-0, 6-2 to Italy’s Martina Trevisan in form, while Heather Watson was defeated 6-3, 6-3 by France’s Elsa Jacchemo.
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