British tennis player Harriet Dart captured her maiden WTA title at the Guangzhou Open on Sunday, defeating Austrian teenager Lilli Tagger in the final. The victory, achieved while ranked 115th in the world, marks a significant turnaround for the 30-year-old, who has been working part-time with 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli since the start of the season.
Dart credited Bartoli's belief and experience for her resurgence. "She really believes in me - that means the world to me. Seeing a Grand Slam champion having that belief has made me believe a lot more in myself," Dart told BBC Sport after the win. The pair, who live near each other in Dubai, collaborate during training blocks and at Grand Slam events, though Bartoli does not travel full-time on tour.
Since Wimbledon, Dart has won 19 of 24 tour-level matches on hard courts, raising her season record to 23 wins from 34 matches – the highest winning percentage of her career. She is projected to climb to 83rd in the rankings on Monday. The Guangzhou triumph followed a period where Dart had struggled with a vulnerable second serve and questions about her mental resilience, both of which she answered with a series of comeback victories in China.
Britain's Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong praised Dart's improved confidence and work ethic. "She's been grinding away on the tour for a long time and it's great to see someone who has put in a lot of time to succeed and win a big title," Keothavong said. Dart's success caps a strong Asian swing for British women, with Sonay Kartal reaching a WTA 1000 final in Wuhan and Katie Boulter making the semi-finals in Osaka.
