Harriet Dart progresses to the second round with impressive victory over Rebeka Masarova in straight sets to secure Britain’s best first round at Wimbledon since 1984
- Harriet Dart overcame Rebeka Masarova of Spain with a 6-1, 6-4 victory
- Dart became 10th British player through to second round with impressive win
- Following her victory Dart will take on eight seed Jessica Pegula in second round
Harriet Dart thrashed Rebeka Masarova with a consummate display of grass court tennis to seal Britain’s best first round at Wimbledon since 1984.
In a match held over from Tuesday, Dart won 6-1, 6-4 against the Spanish world No 146 to join her nine compatriots in winning their openers.
Dart’s mother is a member of the All England Club so the 25-year-old knows grass courts better than most.
Harriet Dart beat Rebeka Masarova to make it through to the second round of Wimbledon
Despite Masarova’s best efforts she was unable to get the better of Dark, who is ranked no 94
She was without a tour-level quarter-final this time last month but had two in a row at Nottingham and Eastbourne, bringing her to a career-high ranking of 94. And on this evidence that form looks set to continue.
The difference in comfort level on the surface between the two players was stark. Dart, like the born-and-bred grass courter she is, plays with a low centre of gravity which allows her to drive ever a skidding ball flat; Masarova was contrastingly upright and at 6ft 1in was forever having to scoop the ball up off the turf.
Dart opened up 4-0 leads in each set and, despite a wobble in the second, she closed out the match to set up a daunting but intriguing second-round meeting with American No8 seed Jessica Pegula.
Dart became 10th British player through to second round with an impressive victory
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