Britain’s Harriet Dart hoped to join Emma Raducanu in the Last 16 of The Championships at Wimbledon, and she almost made it, but Wang Xinyu from China came from behind to deliver a heart-breaking 3rd-round loss on Saturday in the first match on No 2 Court.
I feel, like, I’ve been playing some good tennis in the last few weeks, and I’ve put myself in a position where I’ve been getting some good results. I really believed I could do some damage here. To lose today, being up twice, is going to sting for quite a while, but this is tennis. Every week you’re dealing with losses. Just have to find a way through it. Harriet Dart
The British No 2 led 5-4 in the second set when she smashed into the net at deuce, and later lost 6 games on the trot to miss out on the chance of a maiden 4th-round berth at Wimbledon, the result of further lapses of concentration in the deciding set after racing to go 3-0 up, and bringing her fine run at The Championships to an end with a 2-6 7-5 6-3 loss to Wang.
“I don’t think I’m going to sleep very well tonight, that’s for sure,” Dart said later. “It’s something that I can try and learn from, for sure, make sure it doesn’t happen again.
It was a difficult day for both players, with very windy conditions and rain delays, which Dart appeared to be navigating well while Wang struggled, but the Chinese gradually found her way.
Dart had won their only other meeting in qualifying for the 2022 Gippsland Trophy in Melbourne, but rain pushed back the scheduled 11am start on Saturday, and, when play did begin 2 hours later, the wind contributed towards 3 breaks of serve in the first 4 games, but the Brit’s more solid play earned her an early 3-1 lead.
A further rain delay then occurred, but Dart, who was born in Hampstead, returned to the court and claimed the first set after 38 minutes of play.
Wang had managed just 6 points on serve in the opener, but, as the match drew on, she started to build some rhythm, and Dart found it harder and harder to hold serve.
The Chinese, who knocked out World No 5 and Berlin Open champion Jessica Pegula in the 2nd-round, kept asking questions of the British No 2 and, seemingly from nowhere, managed to grab the second set.
They had exchanged breaks in the second, before Dart dug deep in consecutive service games to establish a 5-4 lead, and then she squandered a golden chance for a first match point, slamming a simple high drive volley into the net on deuce.
Wang held her serve and subsequently forced a decider when she broke Dart immediately after, whose emotions were now teetering towards overload.
© Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images
It was a similar story in the third, with Dart coming out and taking full control, her mental resilience being tested, and she nailed a forehand down the line to ease to a 3-0 lead but, again, the World No 42 came straight back.
As frustration continued to build for the Brit, she relinquished her break with a rather sloppy shot into the net in the 5th game, and Wang went on to take the last 6 consecutive games of the match as the Dart collapsed, her run ended at this year’s Championships.
The momentum had firmly shifted Wang’s way, and, after Dart had double-faulted in the final game, the Chinese sealed her win with a fine volley at the net, denying the Brit her chance to reach the Last 16 of a Grand Slam since her main-draw debut at the All England Club some 6 years ago.
“I mean, it was a huge opportunity today. I put myself in some situations where I was up and leading,” Dart said afterwards. “Yeah, it was really tough. I mean, to be up in two sets, and come away with a loss is pretty heart-breaking, to be honest.”
An emotionally charged victory over compatriot Katie Boulter, the British No 1 and 32nd seed, on Thursday had booked Dart a place in round 3 at Wimbledon for the first time in 5 years.
“This one will definitely sting for a long time, I think, especially because being here at such a big event and everything that comes with Wimbledon,” she added. “Obviously, being a British player, you want to play well here.
“I feel, like, I’ve been playing some good tennis in the last few weeks, and I’ve put myself in a position where I’ve been getting some good results. I really believed I could do some damage here.
“To lose today, being up twice, is going to sting for quite a while, but this is tennis. Every week you’re dealing with losses. Just have to find a way through it.”
© Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images
Dart will be back on court in the mixed doubles, and knows she will have to learn lessons about handling pressure.
“Once this tournament is over for me, I guess I’ll reflect a little bit more,” she said. “Right now it’s a little bit too close to home, just the loss being so raw and stuff. I’m just disappointed in myself.”
Meanwhile, Wang moves on to round 4 where she will meet Elina Svitolina, after the No 21 seed from Ukraine delivered a heart-breaking loss to 2-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, 6-1 7-6(4) on Centre Court.
