Emma Raducanu has pledged to add an 'element of surprise' to her game after crashing out of the Australian Open.
Raducanu, 19, was playing in just her third Grand Slam event in Melbourne - and her first since her stunning win as a qualifier at the US Open in September.
Her form since her very own 'fairytale of New York' had been indifferent before arriving in Victoria, and her preparation was also disrupted by testing positive for Covid-19, but she impressed in round one by coming through an epic battle with American Sloane Stephens in three sets.
That set up a clash with Montenegrin player Danka Kovinic, but despite battling back a set down, the world no 18 eventually went out 6-4 4-6 6-3.
However, Raducanu still emerged from the loss with great credit, having battled on with deep blisters on her right hand for much of the contest.
Following an early timeout for treatment, the pace of her serve noticeably decreased while her hampered grip meant she was unable to execute her forehand properly.
Her next big test will come at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in March, and the British No 1 thinks her defeat to Kovinic - and the manner in which she was forced to adapt - could benefit her long term.
"I definitely think that the variety helps. I think that maybe some of the girls aren't used to it," she told reporters afterwards.
"That was probably an element of surprise for my opponent today who wasn't expecting me to be doing that.
"It was pretty effective, so if I can mix that with my aggressive game style, I think that would be a really good and dangerous combination going forward."
Raducanu admitted to defying orders from her team by playing the match, but insists the experience taught her some positive lessons.
"I was struggling with my hand before the match. There were some people in my team that maybe didn't want me to play but I wanted to go out there and fight through it, see how far I could get," she said.
"But I thought it was a pretty good learning experience for me. I discovered tools about myself and my game that I didn't know I had before so I can take some positives even from this match."
She added she was likely to play tournaments in February ahead of Indian Wells.
