Harriet Dart made unwelcome headlines after a petulant, lacklustre loss to French wild-card Lois Boisson in the Last 32 of the WTA 250 Open Capfinances Rouen Métropole on Tuesday.
I want to apologise for what I said on court today, it was a heat-of-the-moment comment that I truly regret. That’s not how I want to carry myself, and I take full responsibility. I have a lot of respect for Lois and how she competed today. I’ll learn from this and move forward. Harriet Dart
In comments picked up by the court-side microphones, Dart, the British No 4, attacked Boisson’s personal hygiene during the ill-tempered 6-0 6-3 trouncing, the unkind public comments leaving her at risk of action for unsportsmanlike behaviour from the WTA.
21-year old Boisson was in dominant form as she bagelled the first set, 6-0, in just 28 minutes, and Dart let her frustrations boil over during a changeover in the second, when she was heard on the broadcast asking the umpire: “Can you ask her to put on deodorant? She smells really bad.”
Dart’s controversial outburst came after she had said, in January, that the atmosphere during her Australian Open 2nd-round defeat was “like a football match” and called for greater “respect” from fans.
Later Dart posted on Instagram: “I want to apologise for what I said on court today, it was a heat-of-the-moment comment that I truly regret.
“That’s not how I want to carry myself, and I take full responsibility. I have a lot of respect for Lois and how she competed today. I’ll learn from this and move forward.”
Boisson, who had walked back on to the court as Dart remained sitting down, seemed to be out of earshot when the comment was made, but later the Frenchwoman made light of the incident on her Instagram story, posting a photo of her holding some deodorant and telling toiletries company Dove that they “apparently need a collab”.
Dart’s apology should defuse what was an embarrassing moment for Boisson, who is on her way back from injury and making her first appearance on the main WTA Tour this season in Rouen.
Appearing in her 2nd clay-court match of the season, Dart lost to Varvara Gracheva last month in the 1st-round in Charleston, while Boisson is working her way back up from 303 in the rankings.
The British No 4 put up a better fight in the second set, but failed to convert any of her 6 break point opportunities, and she lost her serve for the 4th time in the match to trail 3-5 before Boisson served out to seal the win.
Once at a career high of 70, Dart’s loss is a blow to her hopes of breaking back into the Top 100, and she currently sits at No 111 in the live WTA Rankings.
There was also disappointment for Dart’s Billie Jean King Cup team-mate Sonay Kartal, who was beaten by Gracheva, the World No 67 Russian-born Frenchwoman, 6-3 6-2, who needed 88 minutes to oust the 59th-ranked British No 3.
Kartal, who was seeded 8 in Rouen, has had an impressive year on tour, and is closing in on a place in the Top 50 for the first time in her career, taking her close to overtaking Emma Raducanu in the rankings as the British No 2.
Elsewhere, Italian qualifier Camilla Rosatello, ranked No 288 in the world, pulled off an opening-round upset of 6th-seeded American Alycia Parks, 6-2 6-3, saving all 8 of the break points she faced, and converting 4 of her 5 chances to break, while also winning 76.5% of her first-serve points in her 3rd career Top 100 win.
No 3 seed Olga Danilovic dropped the first set against fellow Serbian Aleksandra Krunic, but bounced back to win, 5-7 6-0 6-3, while Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro reprised her United Cup defeat of Maria Sakkari, advancing past the former World No 3 from Greece, 6-0 3-6 6-3.
Also moving on were Jessika Ponchet of France, a 6-2 6-4 winner over fellow qualifier Margaux Rouvroy; while Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, the lucky loser who replaced Caroline Garcia in the draw, outlasted Russia’s Anna Blinkova, 6-7(5) 6-4 7-5, in 2 hours and 52 minutes after trailing 2-4 in the second set and being 3-5 down in the third; and Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian got past French wild-card Diane Parry, 6-4 6-3.
