Harriet Dart believes her fighting spirit helped her force her way into the quarter-finals of the LTA’s Rothesay International Eastbourne following a determined win on Court 2.
Wildcard Dart was set up for a tie with world No. 4 Elena Rybakina before the 2022 Wimbledon champion withdrew earlier in the week.
Against 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, the 27-year-old went a set up before falling on the wrong side of a tie-break.
She came back in the decider to motor through to the quarter-finals by taking the third in emphatic fashion, winning 6-3 6-7(3) 6-0.
She said: “It was a really tough match. She’s a tough player, I was really pleased to get the win and regroup after that second set tie-break and come out firing in the third.
“I really battled my way through.
“My plan was to try and finish points a bit quicker and today it worked.”
🔥 @harriet_dart battles through to the quarter-finals in Eastbourne! #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #RothesayInternational pic.twitter.com/pnk3nMH5Sb
— LTA (@the_LTA) June 26, 2024
The British No. 2 powered into the second round following a marathon match against world No.37 Marie Bouzkova in the first, her biggest win of the season by ranking.
That match provided Brit with a wealth of experience on the surface in the build-up to Wimbledon where she will take to the main draw next week in singles, as well as teaming up with last year’s quarter-finalist Maia Lumsden for doubles.
In Eastbourne, victory set up a tie with Canada’s Leylah Fernandez as Dart switches her focus to that match and recovering from an injury niggle picked up during her second-round tie.
Since the tournament’s inception 50 years ago in 1974, it is the second time three or more British players have made the quarter-finals on the south coast when Anne Hobbs, Virginia Wade and Michelle Tyler all made it to the last eight in 1978.
Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart joined Raducanu in women’s singles as Billy Harris also secured his last-eight spot in the men’s singles.
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here