Britain’s Harriet Dart overcame Marie Bouzkova in a topsy-turvy match to arrange a second-round encounter with high seed Elena Rybakina at Eastbourne.
Roared on by a partisan residence crowd, Dart fought again from a double break down in each the primary and second units earlier than wrapping up a 7-5 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 victory in almost three and a half hours.
It’s Dart’s finest win of the 12 months by rating, with the 27-year-old wildcard ranked 68 locations under Czech Bouzkova.
She is going to face former Wimbledon champion and world quantity 4 Rybakina, who acquired a bye within the first spherical, on Wednesday.
“It was an unimaginable match, so many ups and downs,” stated Dart, who revealed she was scuffling with knowledge tooth ache all through the match.
“Marie’s an unimaginable fighter and at all times makes it robust. I am very completely happy that it turned my means this time.”
With the recent solar beaming down on Eastbourne’s centre court docket, it appeared like it might be a tough afternoon for Dart after falling a double break down early on.
However the British quantity two rallied to degree the set at 4-4 earlier than breaking once more to grab the opener.
Once more, Dart discovered herself trailing 4-1 within the second set earlier than launching one other comeback as Bouzkova, a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 2022, faltered as soon as extra.
The world quantity 37 held sufficiently agency to power a tie-break, and whereas Dart saved three set factors, a wayward forehand handed Bouzkova the set.
The pair traded breaks at the beginning of the decider earlier than Dart broke once more, a bonus she would by no means relinquish as she served out the match on the first alternative.
Dart is one in every of 4 British gamers within the ladies’s singles draw at Eastbourne this week, with Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Lily Miyazaki in motion on Tuesday.
Earlier, Billy Harris moved previous fellow British wildcard Jacob Fearnley with a 6-4 7-6 (9-7) victory.
It continues a constructive grass-court season for the 29-year-old, who moved contained in the world’s high 150 after reaching his first ATP Tour quarter-final final week at Queen’s Membership.
He’ll face the newly topped Queen’s champion Tommy Paul subsequent, with the American second seed receiving a bye within the first spherical.
Harris and Fearnley will make their Grand Slam debuts this summer season after they acquired wildcards for the primary draw at Wimbledon, which begins on 1 July.
Within the males’s doubles, Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Dutch accomplice Jean-Julien Rojer beat Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 17-15.
