Emma Raducanu says winning on her Grand Slam return made her victory even more sweet.

The Brit toppled Shelby Rogers 6-3 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open after eight months off the court due to wrist and ankle surgeries.

Raducanu, 21, has not played at a Grand Slam since last year's tournament and could not hide her delight.

She said: "I'm very happy to have come through that.

"I think being my first Grand Slam match back, it is definitely a little bit extra sweet.

"I was a little taken aback by the support. I think it was better than any year I've had before here. It was amazing to see all the signs and hear the support."

Raducanu will face Wang Yafan in the second round after the Chinese star surprised No22 seed Sorana Cirstea.

The former US Open champion's victory puts her on course for a third-round showdown with fellow Brit Katie Boulter, who overcame Yuan Yue in straight sets.

She added: "I missed that feeling of playing and interacting with the crowd, so I wanted to spend some time with them.

"I heard some young kids calling my name and it's hard to walk away. I enjoy it and I definitely missed it when I was away.

"First rounds are always difficult. You're always a little bit nervous, regardless of whether you've played a tournament the week before, it's slightly different conditions, different court, it's a first round again.

"What I realised is that the difference between me potentially losing in the first round or doing well is really, really slim and it's in the way that I move and do things physically. 

"Just not being so drastic because I know it's not far away at all and I know the more I practise consistently, the more it will come up."