Emma Raducanu put the first point on the board for Great Britain in their pursuit of a Billie Jean King Cup semi-final place at the expense of defending champions Canada.
British number two Raducanu, playing for only the second time in almost two months following a foot injury, won 6-0 7-5 against Canada's Rebecca Marino in Malaga.
The first set, with a huge gulf of quality between the 2021 US Open champion and 103rd-ranked Marino, required ruthlessness, but the second asked for patience and resilience.
Raducanu was forced to save seven break points before taking Marino's serve in the 11th game.