Harriet Dart Claims Maiden WTA Title with Guangzhou Open Final Victory
Harriet Dart battled back from a set down to defeat Lilli Tagger in the Guangzhou Open final, securing her first career WTA singles title. The British number five overcame a difficult start and a chaotic deciding set to lift the trophy.
Harriet Dart secured her maiden WTA title after edging past Lilli Tagger in the final of the Guangzhou Open.
The British number five, who is ranked 115th in the world and coached by former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, had to recover from a sluggish beginning after being broken in the opening game of the match. While Dart managed to fight back and level the first set at 4-4, Tagger immediately earned another break of serve and successfully served out the opener.
Dart responded in the second set, capitalizing on the set's first break point to take a 5-3 lead before serving out the set to level the match and force a decider.
The momentum shifted back and forth in the final set as the competitors traded five consecutive service breaks. Dart eventually stabilized her game by saving two break points to hold serve for 5-3, subsequently closing out the match to seal the title.