Harriet Dart wins Battle of the Brits against Katie Boulter in dramatic deciding set tie-break at Wimbledon
WTA
A match that was heavily touted between two players who have no love lost and anchor British hopes alongside Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon saw Harriet Dart turn the tide and seal a dramatic win 6-4, 1-6, 6-7(2).
Most of the build-up centred around the fact that both were in each others pockets growing up at the same time and how they have a pretty fractious relationship since then. Dart also has a fairly poor record against Boulter only beating her once and that was on a hard court.
But she stepped out of the shadows of her compatriot who is the British No.1 and seeded for the first time at the Championships.
The first set was claimed by Boulter with Dart's serve faltering. She had double faults on big points and voiced frustration to her team. She saved set point at 5-4 but Boulter had the serve to send it her way and did just that. Too many unforced errors from Dart proved costly. But it was a good response from the 27-year-old.
Dart in the second set was sublime though. She sealed a stunning forehand down the line winner to double break and go 4-1 up. Boulter's erratic form continued as she handed Dart another break with errors creeping in and Dart took it gratefully to seal the second set.
Dart broke in the final set and seemed to be in the ascendancy as she made it 4-2. But she folded when it mattered most and Boulter took advantage to make it 4-4. A backhand winner saw Boulter break serve and make it 5-4. But adversity was to come as it was sent to a tie-break and one that Boulter led throughout storming into a big lead. Dart was seen in tears at the end as the end was firmly nigh. Boulter though wasn't going to have it all her own way.
Errors saw Dart look to barge her way back into it at 6-6. Boulter had the serve and had a frustrated figure as she let Dart back into a contest that she shouldn't have been in.
Boulter went onto attack mode and went 7-6 up. But Dart held firm with an unreturnable serve to make it 7-7. Dart had the lead as a result at 8-7 in a nervy juncture for both. A superb rally followed but Dart came out second best in the 25 shot display as Boulter made it 8-8. But another error thrust it the way of Harriet Dart to serve it out.
She now reaches reach the third round where she now faces Xinyu Wang who saw off Jessica Pegula earlier this afternoon. A big name heads out and the main seed that was seen as being in the way.
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