Emma Raducanu beats Emma Navarro in hard-fought Miami Open clash despite foot injury – after axing her coach after just 14 days

In the midst of upheaval and uncertainty, Emma Raducanu somehow produced one of the finest victories of her career, overcoming an attack of blisters to beat No8 seed Emma Navarro 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 and reach the third round of the Miami Open.

It is the 22-year-old’s third career win against a top-10 player and first away from the green grass of home.

In a peculiar match Raducanu had to show first her quality, then her mental and physical resilience. Her serve and forehand – problem areas this year – were superb in the opening set as she came from 6-4 down in the tiebreak to nick it.

Then came a physical collapse and treatment for blisters on both feet. When Navarro took a 2-0 lead in the deciding set all looked over. But the American took her foot off the gas and a few sloppy points allowed Raducanu to rediscover her equilibrium.

Both players failed to serve out the match at the end of the decider and in the tiebreak Raducanu’s aggressive returning did the business.

It was some effort given the flux in her coaching box this week. Her first-round win was overshadowed by the absence from her box of new coach Vlado Platenik, as it emerged Raducanu had ended their trial after only two weeks.

It has been like a game of guess who recently and a new face for this match was Mark Petchey, one of Andy Murray’s early coaches with whom Raducanu has worked briefly in the past.

Mail Sport understands Petchey is just playing a supporting role: the search for a new, new coach continues.

That must be sorted out soon but this victory was like a shaft of light breaking through the clouds.

Raducanu will play her third round tomorrow (Sunday) against the winner of last night’s match between Czech Linda Noskova and American McCartney Kessler.