Britain's Harriet Dart has reached the second WTA Tour semi-final of her career by defeating fifth seed Paula Badosa 3-6 6-2 6-4 at the Guangzhou Open in China.
The 30-year-old qualifier, ranked 115th globally, overcame a sluggish start and physical opponent to secure her spot in the final four after two hours and 15 minutes of grueling play at the Nansha International Tennis Centre.
Harriet Dart's victory marks a major milestone in her career. She began the year 2024 with a career-high ranking of 70th in the world after making the Wimbledon third round and US Open second round. Dart previously reached her maiden WTA tour semi-final at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca, where she fell to Karolina Pliskova. The match against Paula Badosa was a tough one, with Badosa requiring two medical timeouts during the match. Dart steadily erased a deficit, breaking serve multiple times to level the score at 1-1 before running away with the decider.
Medical Timeouts And Momentum
Dart said, "It was an incredible battle. I thought Paula started really strongly. I was always behind, and knew it was going to be an incredibly tough match." She added, "I really needed to hang in there during the tough moments and wait for a chance. Luckily I was able to take my chance, and I am very excited to be in the semi-finals." Dart's determination and perseverance paid off, and she will now face 16-year-old Chinese wildcard Sun Xinran in the semi-finals on Saturday. Sun Xinran is ranked 61st in the world and will provide a challenging opponent for Dart.
Dart advanced through the qualifying rounds and subsequently eliminated second-seed Janice Tjen earlier in the tournament. She is excited to compete again on Saturday, saying, "Tennis is so stressful, so to have the opportunity to compete again on Saturday is a great opportunity for me. It's been a very long time since I've been in the business end of the tournament so I am really excited for that." With 54 winners and 16 aces, Dart's performance was impressive, and she will look to continue this form in the semi-finals.
Semifinal Showdown Ahead
Harriet Dart's semi-final match against Sun Xinran will be a thrilling encounter. Dart has already overcome tough opponents, including Paula Badosa and Janice Tjen, and will look to do the same against Sun Xinran. The match will take place at the Nansha International Tennis Centre, which has a capacity of over 5,000 spectators. With the crowd cheering her on, Dart will look to reach her first WTA Tour final. The Guangzhou Open has been a successful tournament for Dart so far, and she will hope to continue this success in the semi-finals. Dart's ranking of 115th in the world will likely improve if she wins the tournament, and she will look to build on her career-high ranking of 70th in 2024.
The semi-final match between Harriet Dart and Sun Xinran promises to be an exciting encounter, with both players looking to reach the final of the Guangzhou Open. With her determination and perseverance, Dart will look to overcome the challenging opponent and reach her first WTA Tour final.