Emma Raducanu overcame illness and a six–foot Chinese opponent to battle bravely into the second round of the French Open. And she will now face defending champion Iga Swiatek in a glamorous clash of Grand Slam champions.

The British No.2, who suffered a back spasm last week, took a medical timeout during the first set and had her blood pressure taken and ice treatment.

And she looked to be heading home when she quickly fell 1-5 down in the second to China’s world No.43 Wang Xinyu - the daughter of a former basketball star.

But the former US Open champion then won seven of the next eight games in the rollercoaster encounter to lead 3-0 in the decider. And Raducanu needed three match points before winning 7-5 4-6 6-3 in two hours and 44 minutes - her equal longest ever claycourt match.

It was a gutsy performance and only her second ever win at Roland Garros in only her second appearance here following her 2022 debut. And it is the first British singles win in Paris since 2023 after all six representatives lost in the first round

Her part-time coach Mark Petchey attended her pre-match warm-up but was not on court because he was working on TV. Raducanu had Jane O’Donaghue and Tom Walsh in her player box.

This first round match was staged on cosy Court 8 in the shadow of Court Suzanne-Lenglen and next to noisy Court 9 where French star Arthur Cazaux was in action.

After exchanging early breaks, Raducanu broke again to lead 3-2 in the opening set. In the following game, she won her first second serve at her sixth attempt - and screamed in celebration when Wang his a backhand into the net on her way to a big hold.

The Chinese star responded by holding her next service game to love and then shouting out: ‘Let’s go!” Raducanu served for the set for the first time but fell 0-40 down and lost the third break point with a weak backhand into the net.

The Bromley-based star immediately broke back to lead 6-5 but then called for the medical timeout. The 2021 US Open winner has a long history of illness and injury issues during her short career. She last retired from a match at Korea Open last September with a left foot injury but this time she stayed out for three sets.

Back on court, Wang varied her tactics by hitting moonballs but Raducanu took her first set point with a forehand winner down the line after 62 minutes.

In the second set, Wang broke to lead 3-1 with a backhand winner down the line and then saved two break points in the next game. She then broke again to serve for the match at 5-1 before Raducanu mounted a fightback and won the next three games to bring the score back to 5-4.

With the British No.2 serving to stay in the set, French umpire Anthony Belli Deligny annoyed Wang by over-ruling a call of out on her baseline at deuce and ordered the point to be replayed. The Chinese No.2 responded by hitting forehand winners on the next two points to take the set.

Raducanu raced into a 3-0 lead in the final set with a double break. And after Wang got one break back when the world No.42 served a double fault on the third break point, Raducanu punched the air in celebration when the Chinese star sent a forehand wide for another break and a 4-1 lead.

At 5-2, Wang saved the two match points with a drop shot and a forehand winner and then took her second break point with a backhand winner. Raducanu had two more match points in the next game and she took the first when Wang served a double fault.

World No.5 Swiatek beat Rebecca Sramkova 6-3 6-3 to extend her French Open winning streak to 22 matches.