Emma Raducanu makes winning return on clay, sets up Marta Kostyuk clash at Madrid Open

Emma Raducanu has made a winning return to action after not playing since Miami where she reached the Quarter-FInals, she saw off Suzan Lamens in two hard fought sets at the Madrid Open on Wednesday afternoon.

Raducanu sealed it in just under two hours 7-6, 6-4. She now faces Marta Kostyuk in the second round who is in the seed in her section. Raducanu perhaps could be a sleeper on clay given her form last year.

The former US Open champion slightly disappointed by deciding to not play most of the clay court season after showing promise at the Billie Jean King Cup on the surface. But she only played Stuttgart then decided to rest up for the grass.

Raducanu this time around doesn't need wildcards to get into either qualifying or the main draw so is able to target these events. She has had a few weeks of intensive training after Miami instead of playing Rouen which was pencilled in with Mark Petchey also by her side when his commitments allow.

Raducanu led at points in the opening set going 4-3 and 5-4 up on Lamens but staved off break points in the latter and couldn't find the solution herself. She was taken all the way to a tie-break but she surged from 3-2 down to only give her opponent one more point.

In the second set Lamens led 3-2 but in a game she should've won Raducanu broke her serve for 4-3 only to lose it straight away but the Brit staved off potentially another set by decidingly breaking one more time before sealing the win.

Other victors today include Belinda Bencic who thrashed Zeynep Sonmez 6-0, 6-2. Maria Sakkari also was victorious while Petra Kvitova's return to Madrid was a bit of a horror show as she was well beaten 6-4, 6-0 by Katie Volynets.