Emma Raducanu’s Australian Open campaign kicked off on a bumpy note. The British No.1 came into her fifth AO full of hope. After a foot injury disrupted her start at the United Cup earlier this month, she saw the first Grand Slam of the year as a chance to reset. But when she faced Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the opening round, things didn’t go entirely to plan.

Raducanu looked right at home on Margaret Court Arena, taking charge early against Thailand’s Lanlana Sawangkaew. The Brit grabbed the first set 6-4 with crisp hitting and confident movement that set the tone for the night. Her rhythm looked untouchable as she raced into the second set already leading 2-0.

Then came a strange moment. Up 15-0 in the third game, Emma Raducanu’s serve clipped the net. She suddenly paused, pointing toward the lights above the court. Getting the attention of the umpire, she said a flickering light distracted her mid-serve and wanted the point replayed.

“Has the light just turned on? That’s first serve, no?” she asked, looking toward the chair umpire.

The umpire replied calmly, “No, it’s not first serve. You…” before Emma chimed in.

“I only started this,” she said, motioning to the start of her serve. The umpire held firm, explaining, “No, no, no, you didn’t start the motion where you didn’t come up.”

But Raducanu stood her ground, “I was like this.” But the umpire wouldn’t budge, saying, “No, it was before you started anything.”

Eventually, Emma Raducanu accepted that she’d have to play a second serve. The mini-drama ended fast. Sawangkaew sent the return long, giving Raducanu the point. From there, she switched back into top gear, cruising through four straight games to seal the win 6-4, 6-1. Another confident start in Melbourne. Another sharp performance signed off with flair.

This is a developing story…