Harriet Dart wins at Wimbledon to set up all-British clash with Boulter

Britain is ensured to have a player in the third round of the women's singles as Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart both won their matches in straight sets. They will face each other in the second round for the eighth time in their careers on Thursday.

Boulter has emerged victorious in the previous three encounters with her opponent, winning a total of six out of seven matches. One of these wins came after a tough three-set battle at Nottingham in June.

Dart had an easier time on Tuesday, even though there was a rain delay of over an hour. She defeated Zhuoxuan Bai of China 6-4, 6-0 in 1 hour and 18 minutes. On the other hand, Boulter had a tough match against Germany's Tatjana Maria, who was a semi-finalist in 2022. Boulter had to fight for every point but managed to come out on top with a 7-6 (6), 7-5 victory.

Boulter commented that the opponent is highly distinctive. Seeing her name next to yours can be intimidating as she has a playing style that is uncommon. She uses a lot of slicing techniques and keeps you on your toes. Boulter made sure to prepare with her team for this unique style of play by practicing with hitting partners who could emulate her tactics. This opponent's playing style is not something commonly seen in female players.

Boulter, seeded at No 32, is predicted to win against her fellow countrywoman on Thursday. However, she anticipates a tough match as her opponent will have the advantage of playing on her home court.

"We are familiar with each other's playing styles very well by now," Boulter stated. "I admire her skills on this type of court, it's where she excels. This is like her second home, she has been coming here since she was a little child with her mom, she has spent a lot of time here and I am aware of the challenge ahead."

Jacob Fearnley, who is playing in his first singles grand slam tournament after reaching the second round in doubles last year, won his match against Alejandro Moro Canas in three straight sets - 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (12). This victory has earned him a match against Novak Djokovic in the next round.

"Getting the opportunity to compete on the Wimbledon courts was truly a special experience," Fearnley expressed. "I must admit, I couldn't help but keep an eye on the scores from Centre Court. The thought of facing him was starting to weigh on my mind."

"I'm a bit nervous, but I'm really looking forward to this match. I've seen a lot of his videos and he seems like a strong player without many weaknesses. I'm going to go out there, play my best, and just see how it goes."

Cameron Norrie, who made it to the semi-finals in 2022, advanced to the next round as the sun began to set, defeating Facundo Diaz Acosta with a score of 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.

Some other British players did not have a good result. Fran Jones lost to Croatia's Petra Martic in three sets. Billy Harris and Henry Searle were also defeated in four sets by Jaume Munar and Marcos Giron.

Jan Choinski was ahead of Luciano Darderi with a two-set lead at one point, but ended up losing in five sets. Similarly, Paul Jubb suffered a heartbreaking defeat in five sets against Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil, despite holding a two-set and break lead in the third set.

In that moment, the way his opponent moved and acted showed that he didn't want to be at SW19 at all. Seyboth Wild even sat down on the court briefly and asked the umpire to check the playing surface as light rain began to fall. This happened while Jubb was leading with a break at 4-2 in the second set.

Even though he was convinced to continue playing, the player ranked 74 in the world – who prefers playing on clay courts – kept frowning and motioning towards the darkening skies. The match was eventually stopped while Jubb was serving for the set and leading 30-0.

Jubb quickly took a strong lead in the match after the break, leading by two sets and 2-0 in the third set. Seyboth Wild made a couple of double faults in his first service game, helping Jubb's lead. It looked like Jubb would win another match for Britain soon. However, Seyboth Wild showed determination and resilience. He saved a match point and won a tough third-set tiebreak. He gradually started to make a comeback in the match.

Jubb fought hard in the last set, saving five opportunities for his opponent to win and recovering from being down a break at 5-4. But unfortunately, he was unable to keep his own serve after being 30-0 up in the following game. Seyboth Wild then went on to win the next game too, ultimately triumphing 1-6, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-5.