Sportsupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapHarriet Dart Beats Lilli Tagger to Win First WTA Title at Guangzhou Open
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Harriet Dart won her first WTA singles title at Guangzhou Open, beating Lilli Tagger. Dart came through two qualifying rounds to enter the Guangzhou Open main draw.
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6 outlets told this the same way.
Dart wins in Guangzhou
Harriet Dart won her first WTA Tour singles title of her career by beating Austrian teenager Lilli Tagger 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the Guangzhou Open final on Sunday. Dart, the British number five ranked 115th in the world, came through qualifying to lift the trophy at the WTA 250 event, and she told BBC Sport, "It's crazy to be sitting here as champion after coming through qualifying - it's mad really."
Dart recovered after losing the first set and twice having a lead wiped out by Tagger, and she held two championship points on Tagger's serve in the ninth game before closing out the match. The Star reported that Dart saved two break points to hold for 5-3 and then closed out the match to secure the title, after the pair traded five consecutive breaks of serve in the final set.
Bartoli part-time impact
Marion Bartoli watched from home as Dart won the Guangzhou Open, and Dart said, "She really believes in me - that means the world to me." BBC Sport described Dart making a call to her parents Nick and Susie and her sister Phoebe, before speaking next to Bartoli, who has coached Dart on a part-time basis since the start of the season.
Dart said she was "really fortunate she was open to working with me" and she credited Bartoli for helping her achieve what she felt was beyond her. Reuters said Dart was coached by former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, and the report described Dart overcoming a sluggish start after being broken in the opening game.
Rankings and next draw
Dart was projected to rise to 83rd after lifting the Guangzhou trophy, and BBC Sport said she would be in the top 100 again after a run that had left her outside it for most of the past two seasons. AOL.co.uk said Dart will go directly into the main draw of the Australian Open when the opening Grand Slam of the season takes place in January, after her climb back inside the world's top 100.
“But there is certainly more belief and confidence now.”
Dart also framed the win as proof of resilience, telling BBC Sport, "This week shows that even when I'm down - and people think I'm down and out - I'm still able to overcome it." BBC Sport reported that Anne Keothavong named Dart in her squad for September's Billie Jean King Cup Finals, and Keothavong said, "But there is certainly more belief and confidence now."