British tennis player Harriet Dart advanced to her second WTA semi-final by overcoming former world No 2 Paula Badosa at the Guangzhou Open. After dropping the opening set, Dart fought back to claim a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory and extend her winning streak to five matches.
Dart’s Remarkable Comeback in Guangzhou
Dart admitted she faced a tough challenge against a strong opponent but focused on staying resilient during critical moments. She noted that reaching the closing stages of a tour event after a lengthy absence is a proud achievement. To reach this stage, Dart successfully navigated two qualifying rounds before defeating Tatiana Prozorova and Janice Tjen in the main draw.
Reflecting on the match in her on-court interview with Sky Sports, Dart said, “It was an incredible battle. I thought Paula started really strongly. I was always behind, but I knew going in that it was going to be an incredibly tough match.” She added, “I really needed to hang in there in the tough moments, and maybe I’d get a chance. Luckily I was able to take my chances today and I’m really excited to be in the semi-final.”
Rybakina Withdraws from Pan Pacific Open
At the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, world No 1 Elena Rybakina withdrew from her quarter-final match against Leylah Fernandez due to an injury. The withdrawal sent Fernandez directly into the semi-finals, where she is scheduled to face Kamilla Rakhimova.
Addressing the crowd on-court, the 27-year-old explained that she had been struggling with a minor injury for a couple of days and could not compete at her best, especially with another important tournament approaching. Rybakina previously advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3.
Despite the withdrawal, Rybakina will finish the year as the world No 1 following a successful season that included victories at the Australian Open and the U.S. Open. Having previously won Wimbledon in 2022, she remains only a French Open title away from completing a career Grand Slam.
Commenting on her year-end ranking, Rybakina described it as an incredibly special moment and expressed pride in her consistency and achievements, which also featured titles in Stuttgart and Ningbo. She is scheduled to receive a commemorative trophy during a special presentation at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, which run from November 8-15.
