It did not require much in the way of body language expertise to pinpoint the moment Harriet Dart feared her Wimbledon campaign was over.
After almost three hours of an all-British showdown against Katie Boulter on Court One on Thursday, Dart dumped a backhand into the net to trail 6-2 in a final set tie-break. She trudged to the back of the court, head in hands, and the tears flowed.
“I wear my emotions on my sleeve, so you see everything how I’m thinking,” Dart said, in case there had been any doubt.
A beaming smile of relief came just nine minutes after those tie-break tears, Dart having won eight of 10 points from that moment to seal a dramatic three-set victory.
The near-collapse of the Boulter forehand played more than a small role — her unforced error count reached 75 — but this was Dart’s moment to emerge from the British shadow cast by Boulter and Emma Raducanu.
She can now look forward to just a second appearance in the third round of a Grand Slam and the first since losing to top seed Ashleigh Barty at Wimbledon 2019.
“Today was a big mental hurdle,” said Dart, who now faces world number 54 Wang Xiyu. “Feels like a tick in the right direction.”
Dart’s season has been hampered by injury and illness, but the Londoner’s patience is now being rewarded. Breaking new ground over the weekend would delight home fans and, finally, Dart herself.
“To be able to make the second week has been a really big goal,” she said.
“I’m my own worst enemy. I expect a lot from myself during these weeks.”
