Harriet Dart claimed her first WTA title after a hard-fought comeback victory against Lilli Tagger at the Guangzhou Open in China. The 30-year-old Briton, who entered the tournament as a qualifier and survived three match points in her semi-final victory over Sun Xinran, secured the win with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 scoreline.
The match began as an uphill battle for the British No 5. Dart dropped her opening service game and struggled to hold momentum against the 18-year-old Austrian fourth seed. Although Dart managed to break back for 4-4 in the first set, Tagger responded immediately to take the lead. Dart found her rhythm in the second set, claiming a decisive break to move ahead 5-3 and eventually level the match.
The final set turned into a high-pressure exchange featuring five consecutive breaks of serve.
The deadlock broke when a resilient Dart saved two break points to hold for a 5-3 lead. Despite missing two championship points—one saved by a powerful Tagger serve and another lost on a netted forehand—Dart regained her composure. She successfully served out the match to 15, sealing the victory with an unreturned serve and celebrating the milestone by collapsing onto the court. However, Dart wiped that miss from her mind to serve out the match to 15, falling on her back in delight when victory was sealed with an unreturned serve.
Reflecting on her maiden tour-level title, an emotional Dart thanked her team and the local supporters on court. She expressed her appreciation for the tournament atmosphere and stated her intention to return to Guangzhou next year. This significant victory has propelled the Hampstead native back into the top 100 of the WTA rankings. In app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications. Make sure you’re on the most recent version, if you already have app. Download it from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for ”, if you don’t have app. According to she, On court: “I’ll try not to get too emotional. A big thank you to my team this week. It’s amazing to play in front of such a big crowd. It’s been so much fun here and I really appreciate it and hope to be back next year.”.
