Clay-confident Baltacha all set to surprise No8 seed

If death seemed a little extreme, she would have been just as content with serious illness or a sudden and extremely painful injury – anything would have done, provided it meant that a main draw player pulled out of the French Open and so let Baltacha in.

She had fallen one match short in the qualifying competition and was on the 'lucky loser' list. One place out of the main draw, she just needed one player to withdraw and she would be in. But no one did and after days of hanging around, Baltacha finally packed her bags and went home.

This time around, the sun is shining, Baltacha – the world No 63 and Britain's No 1 – is in the draw by right and she is laden with player gifts (a perk for those who belong in the main competition). Life could not be better and Baltacha could not be happier. Well, a slightly easier draw than playing Agnieszka Radwanska, the world No 8, in the first round could have been the icing on the cake, but she is not complaining.

There was a time when Baltacha viewed the two months spent slogging around the slow red clay courts of Europe as a form of penance. The treacherous surface beneath her feet undermined her confidence while the hordes of crafty Europeans who grew up on the red stuff beat her regularly and soundly.

But then, last week, Baltacha went to Strasbourg and beat Sorana Cristea, ranked No 34, in straight sets and suddenly the penny dropped: she could play on the clay; she could win on the clay; clay was not half bad, after all.

"Once I started practising in Strasbourg, I was hitting the ball so well," she said. "I was moving really well. I started to think 'actually I quite like this'. When I went into the match, I felt really comfortable on it."

Whether the newfound confidence will be enough to beat Radwanska, Baltacha is not sure. But with nothing to lose, she is certainly looking forward to the prospect of giving the Pole a run for her money. The back spasms that caused Baltacha to withdraw from her second match in Strasbourg have gone and, after a light hit yesterday, she was feeling fit and ready to try her luck.

"It's tough," she said. "She's a really good player. But after what happened last week, it's given me confidence and, again, I've got nothing to lose and it's always nice playing when you've got nothing to lose. She's really crafty. She uses the pace well; she absorbs the pace well. Her serve isn't great and her second serve is pretty weak but the problem with that is that because she moves so well, because she anticipates so well, that a lot of players overhit it; they over-press."

For the first time in 18 years, there are three British women in the draw by right and Baltacha has been joined by Anne Keothavong and Katie O'Brien. O'Brien has, on paper, the most winnable first round match as she plays the veteran Jill Craybas, the world No 92. Keothavong, who was walloped here last year 6-0, 6-0 by Dinara Safina in the first round, has another tough day ahead when she faces Flavia Pennetta, the No 14 seed.

The only small cloud in an otherwise clear sky on Baltacha's horizon is those player gifts. They are, according to Britain's No 1, "totally random" and feature a Roland Garros branded bra and knicker set – and neither garment is her size. With more than enough luggage to heft on to the Eurostar already, she is looking to offload the items so anyone looking for a 34C French Open bra can apply to the Roland Garros players' lounge – Baltacha may be able to sort you out.