Emma Raducanu put the first point on the board for Great Britain in their pursuit of a Billie Jean King Cup semi-final place at the expense of defending champions Canada.
British number two Raducanu, playing for only the second time in almost two months following a foot injury, won 6-0 7-5 against Canada’s Rebecca Marino in Malaga.
The first set, with a huge gulf of quality between the 2021 US Open champion and 103rd-ranked Marino, required ruthlessness, but the second asked for patience and resilience.
Raducanu was forced to save seven break points before taking Marino’s serve in the 11th game.
“It was an incredibly difficult match because the dynamics were so different in each of the sets,” said Raducanu.
Raducanu’s victory means British number one Katie Boulter has the opportunity to seal her nation’s place in the last four of the women’s team event known as the ‘World Cup of Tennis’.
Boulter, ranked 24th in the world, faces Leylah Fernandez – who Raducanu beat to win her shock Grand Slam title – later on Sunday.
If Boulter wins, Anne Keothavong’s side will progress at the earliest opportunity in the three-match tie.
The prize at stake for Britain or Canada is a semi-final against Slovakia, who beat 2022 runners-up Australia, on Tuesday (11:00 GMT).