Tuesday’s match got here 713 days after Raducanu’s final look on grass, having had wrist and ankle surgical procedures in 2023 that dominated her out of Wimbledon.
Taking part in on the venue of her very first WTA match in 2021, months earlier than her astounding run to the US Open title, Raducanu confirmed her intent early on by breaking Shibahara within the opening sport.
Shibahara, predominantly a doubles participant who received the French Open blended title in 2022, was enjoying her first singles match on grass at Tour degree however proved no match for Raducanu within the early levels.
After saving two break factors, the British quantity six went on a run of seven successive video games to see out the primary set and proceed into the second, halted solely by a Shibahara maintain to like.
However, after going a double break up with a 5-1 lead, cracks began to look in Raducanu’s efficiency as calls went in opposition to her.
Serving for the match, she conceded a break for the primary time, earlier than Shibahara then held to like for a second time.
On the third time of asking, the Japanese participant broke once more to wipe out Raducanu’s second-set benefit.
However that was the place Shibahara’s resurgence ended as Raducanu sealed her place within the second spherical, changing her first match level on her opponent’s serve.
She’s going to face Daria Snigur subsequent after the Ukrainian defeated compatriot and second seed Marta Kostyuk 6-3 6-3.
“It has been fairly just a few weeks since I final performed a aggressive match so I did not actually understand how it could go,” mentioned Raducanu.
“I feel my intentions have been nice from the beginning.”
Later, Britain’s Fran Jones adopted Raducanu into the second spherical with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win over eighth seed Caroline Dolehide of the USA.
Jones will face one other American, Ashlyn Krueger, subsequent.
Girls’s high seed and world quantity 10 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia beat Colombia’s Camila Osorio 6-2 6-3 and can face Czech qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova within the second spherical.