Emma Raducanu insists she is ready to step up and lead Great Britain on an unfamiliar surface as they prepare for their Billie Jean King Cup play-off against the Czech Republic.
A place in the finals week later in the year is on offer in Prague and with Johanna Konta and Heather Watson not on the team, it’s Raducanu who takes up the senior role as she makes her debut for Great Britain.
This will be the 19-year-old’s first professional match on clay, having shown over the last year how dangerous she can be both on grass and hard-courts, and Raducanu is confident that she will quickly be able to adapt.
“I feel this could be one of my strongest surfaces going forward but of course it’s early days right now,” Raducanu said.
“I feel like I have got a lot more potential physically. And I do enjoy sliding. So, after spending more time on this surface, I’m sure I’ll time it better and learn more about the surface but also just the time that the clay brings. I feel like I can really use it and and play aggressive.”
Already without French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova, world doubles number one Katerina Siniakova - who won a marathon contest with Raducanu in Miami last month - was a late withdrawal for the Czechs through injury.
Raducanu will therefore take on 50th-ranked Tereza Martincova at the historic Cseky Lawn Tennis Club on Friday, after British number two Harriet Dart has opened the tie against Czech number one and former French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova.
The reverse singles take place on Saturday and, if necessary, the tie will conclude with a deciding doubles rubber.
It has been a bumpy road for Raducanu since her stunning New York triumph and, amid problems with illness and injury, she has won only two matches so far this season.
Having a team around her to help share the burden of expectation will no doubt be a fillip for the teenager, who said: “I love playing as a team, especially the team we’ve got here.
“I feel like everyone has been a lot of fun and there’s been a great connection off court, whether that’s playing murder mystery games or cornhole, we’re definitely bonding and gelling very well.”
Additional reporting by PA Sport.
