Katie Boulter hopes to extend her advantage over Harriet Dart in this one-sided rivalry when both players tussle in Wimbledon's second round.
The British No. 1 overcame a shaky start in the previous round to get the better of Tatjana Maria, while Dart dispatched Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan with ease.
Match preview
© Reuters
A year removed from her Wild Card entry into the 2023 women's singles draw, Boulter started the 2024 tournament as the highest-ranked British player, underscoring her impressive ascent in the past 12 months.
The world No. 29 has notched two titles this year, including a recent grass-court tournament in Nottingham in the lead-up to Wimbledon, further making her case for a deep run at the third Grand Slam of 2024.
However, she is one more win away from her previous peak at the All England Club, with the 27-year-old never going past the third round at the Championships — notching two wins in 2022 and last year.
Boulter believes her hard-fought 7-6 (6), 7-5 first-round win over Germany's Maria stands her in good stead to overcome challenges in the Slam, and it remains to be seen if it plays out as predicted.
The British No. 1 should be motivated by the one-sided run of results against her second-round opponent, keen to demonstrate her superiority in this rivalry.
Dart may have other ideas, especially after a promising tournament-opening 6-4, 6-0 triumph over Zhuoxuan.
That victory means the British player avoided consecutive first-round Wimbledon exits, having suffered a three-set first-round defeat against Diane Parry when she entered as a Wild Card in 2023.
Now ranked 100 in the world, the difference in class between both opponents points to a Dart loss on Thursday, but the 27-year-old will hope to stun her ostensibly superior opponent and match her 2019 Wimbledon high when she advanced to round three.
For that to happen, the underdog must adapt to the boisterous atmosphere on Court No. 1, a departure from what the unseeded player is typically used to.
Defeating her Billie Jean King Cup teammate will be just what the doctor ordered, but it will be far from straightforward for the world No. 100.
Tournament so far
Katie Boulter:
First round: vs. Tatjana Maria 7-6[6] 7-5
Harriet Dart:
First round: vs. Bai Zhuoxuan 6-4 6-0
Head To Head
Glasgow (2016) - Round of 32: Boulter 6-1 6-4
Perth (2017) - Qualifying: Boulter 6-1 7-5
Clare (2017) - Round of 32: Boulter 6-2 6-2
Gifu (2018) - Round of 32: Dart 6-2 7-5
Nottingham (2023) - Quarter-finals: Boulter 6-3 7-5
Paris (2024) - Round of 32: Boulter 6-0 6-4
Nottingham (2024) - Round of 32: Boulter 6-7 [5] 6-4 7-5
Thursday's match-up is fascinating due to Boulter's dominance of Dart since their first meeting in 2016.
The current British No. 1 has won six of their seven meetings, claiming five in straight sets. However, her unseeded opponent will point to the most recent encounter in Nottingham when she forced Boulter to three sets after notching the first as a sign that the gap is possibly closing.
Their records heading into Wimbledon favour the higher-ranked player, whose 23 wins from 35 matches better Dart's 19 wins and as many defeats, a 50% win rate.
We say: Boulter to win in two sets
Dart may consider the recent three-set battle in Nottingham a positive sign, even if it is unlikely to translate to a different outcome against her nemesis in Thursday's second-round encounter.
Boulter undoubtedly is the superior player, and she should extend her lead in the all-British meeting to 7-1.
