Harriet Dart narrowly missed a significant victory against a top-20 opponent in the 2025 season opener.
In a closely contested Eastbourne first-round match, Harriet Dart, despite holding two match points, fell short against reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Under challenging weather conditions, the world number 124 Dart lost to the 17th-ranked Krejcikova with a score of 6-3 6-7 (1-7) 7-5.
The British player held a break advantage for a substantial portion of the final set and even had the opportunity to serve for the match at 5-4.
However, at 40-15, Dart was unable to capitalize on two match points. Visible frustration followed as she was broken, subsequently losing the next three games.
Dart’s visible frustration peaked as Krejcikova secured a 6-5 lead, prompting a reaction from Dart before ultimately losing the match.
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Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, had previously served for the match at 6-5 in the second set.
The Czech player, Krejcikova, has had limited match play this year due to a prolonged recovery from a back injury.
Despite losing her opening grass-court match at Queen’s last week, her hard-fought victory over Dart provides confidence ahead of her Wimbledon title defense.
Krejcikova will next face another British player, Jodie Burrage, in the second round.
Burrage, sidelined by an ankle injury last year at Wimbledon, secured a 6-3 6-2 victory over Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.
Other British players, Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, and Mimi Xu, will also be competing on the second day of the Eastbourne tournament.