GB’s Harriet Dart wins maiden WTA title at 30 with Guangzhou Open triumph

Briton beats 18-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Dart, a qualifier, was competing in her first WTA final

Britain’s Harriet Dart won her first WTA title after coming from a set down to beat Lilli Tagger in the final of the Guangzhou Open in China. Dart, who saved three match points in her semi-final win over Sun Xinran to reach her first tour-level final, edged a thrilling match against the 18-year-old from Austria 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Dart, the British No 5 and a qualifier, dropped serve in the opening game and had to save a break point in her next service game before finally getting on the board against the fourth seed. The 30-year-old from Hampstead broke back for 4-4, but Tagger hit straight back before wrapping up the first set.

The first break point of the second set came the way of Dart, who took it for 5-3 on her way to levelling the match.

In a tense deciding set, a run of five consecutive breaks of serve ended when a gutsy Dart saved two break points to hold for 5-3. In the next she brought up two championship points, but a big Tagger serve saved the first before Dart netted a mid-court forehand on the second. However, Dart wiped that miss from her mind to serve out the match to 15, falling on her back in delight when victory was sealed with an unreturned serve.

She said on court: “I’ll try not to get too emotional. A big thank you to my team this week. It’s amazing to play in front of such a big crowd. It’s been so much fun here and I really appreciate it and hope to be back next year.”

Dart’s victory lifted her back into the top 100 of the WTA rankings.