Harriet Dart has enjoyed a breakthrough tournament as a singles player, but the 22-year-old endured a chastening exposure to life at the top of her sport as she was dispatched by Ashleigh Barty, 6-1 6-1, in just 53 minutes on Centre Court.
The No 1 seed barely had to engage in this third round contest in order to win it. Simply being consistent in her power and placement was enough to push Dart to breaking point. The Londoner can at least take consolation from her best ever Grand Slam performance. For Barty, she goes into the second week in good shape and with energy in the tank
Dart served up two double faults in her opening service game. The first could perhaps be explained away by a sudden overhead appearance of the Red Arrows. The second could not. Barty broke with a fierce forehand return and the pattern was set.
The French Open champion broke again immediately and, under no pressure on her own service, cruised to a 5-0 lead in the first set. Finally, Dart was able to find some succour, grinding out a service game victory. She was, for once, able to trust her first serve and forced Barty backwards. When a backhand drifted wide to give Dart the game, the crowd enjoyed a lusty cheer. Any noise was quickly subdued; Barty served two aces on the way to wrapping up the first set in double-quick time.
Another untimely double fault from Dart, at 15-30, followed by an overly gentle backhand that drifted sadly into the net, allowed Barty to break again immediately in the second set.
It was difficult to draw too much insight as to the relative strengths and weaknesses of the players in such a one-sided affair, but an absence of the necessary power in her ground strokes consistently left Dart struggling to keep even within touching distance of the 23-year-old Barty.
Dart held another service game at 0-4 down to pep up the crowd, just when every disappointment had begun to be met with sighs of expectation. If it felt a bit like Barty had taken her eye off matters, the feeling was confirmed when Dart raced to three break points at 1-4.
On the other hand, maybe Barty was just looking to set herself a handicap. She played the most impressive strokes of the match, including two wonderful back hand slices in succession to win the point at 0-40, then clawed her way back to hold.
The final game was a formality and American Alison Riske awaits Barty in the fourth round on Monday.
