Harriet has a dart but GB facing exit
Great Britain will probably lose their Fed Cup finals play-off today, but there will be the consolation that the team has found a player of rare pluck in Harriet Dart.
the 23- year- old from Middlesex, making her debut and heavily overmatched on the unfamiliar indoor clay court, repeatedly refused to yield to Slovakia’s no 1 Viktoria Kuzmova.
after saving five match points and looking finished in the decider, Dart was finally put away 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 — leaving GB 2-0 down with three points to play for this afternoon.
Winning all three will surely prove beyond them — and therefore so will a place in the new £14million finals weeks scheduled for april in Budapest. But the visitors’ no 2 at least gave the travelling support of around 400 fans something to cling to as she doggedly pursued the world no 65.
Having qualified and made the second round of the australian Open before acquitting herself honourably against Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, there ought to be much more to come from Dart. With a bit more on her second serve, she should go considerably higher than her present ranking of 141.
She has played very little on the brown dirt, but you would hardly have known it by the way she went toe to toe with her far more experienced opponent. Coming back from 5-2 down in the third set, she forced two break points at 5-5, just lacking the composure to convert them.
‘i thought it was an incredible performance from Harriet, having not even played a main draw Wta event on clay,’ said GB captain anne Keothavong. ‘the way she kept fighting, she can be very proud.’
Dart said: ‘i will now put it to the back of my mind. i pride myself on my fitness. i’m disappointed but gave it everything.’
Heather Watson made 42 unforced errors as she was beaten 6-2, 6-3 by Slovakia’s anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Watson will play Kuzmova in the first match today. Victory is essential.