Emma Raducanu shares positive update on her fitness after sparking injury concerns with another back issue on the eve of Queen's
The 22-year-old first revealed that she had struggled with back spasms in the build-up to the Australian Open, after sparking the complaint when she stooped to tie her shoelace.
Raducanu then saw a flare-up of the problem at Strasbourg, where she was playing her warm-up tournament ahead of the French Open.
Speaking on Sunday, the former British No1 was careful to stress that she had 'pretty low expectations' for her spell at The Queen's Club, where she plays the first of her events on grass this week.
But ahead of facing off with qualifier Cristina Bucsa on Tuesday afternoon, Raducanu was more confident about how her back had felt after taking to court with fellow Briton Katie Boulter for doubles.
'Yeah, it was good to test it out and see how it goes in the match,' Raducanu said after she and Boulter bested Wu Fang-hsien and Jiang Xinyu 6-4, 6-2.
'And I have been managing it, and I think I will continue to. Hopefully it stays in good shape for (my singles match).'
Raducanu had previously seemed downcast when discussing the injury which had prompted 'an interruption' to her time on grass going into the west London event, revealing that she was unable to 'predict the future' about how her body would hold up over the next month.
'I've been managing my back for the last few weeks now, and it's something that comes and goes.
'Overall, I just have to manage what I can take care of when these things happen. I just need to deal with it and just keep doing the right things.'
But the former US Open champion was in brighter spirits alongside her Billie Jean King Cup team-mate as they cruised their way to a straight-sets win - and a potential all-British quarter-final should Heather Watson and Jodie Burrage claim victory on Tuesday afternoon.
Both players have been open about their desire to get minutes on grass under their belt at the start of an intensive five weeks, and a hospital crowd on the smaller, more intimate Court One proved the perfect setting for the debut of their partnership.
'I was actually very nervous before the match,' Raducanu admitted. 'I don't know if Katie could tell. But probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn't really necessarily know what to do, but I'm really happy once we got out there.
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