Dart misses match points in narrow Krejcikova loss

Harriet Dart was bidding for a first win over a top-20 player in 2025

A frustrated Harriet Dart missed two match points on her own serve in a narrow loss to reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the Eastbourne first round.

World number 124 Dart lost to 17th-ranked Krejcikova 6-3 6-7 (1-7) 7-5 on a wet and blustery day on the coast.

Britain's Dart led by a break for the majority of the final set and served for the match at 5-4 in the third.

She had two match points at 40-15 up but the 28-year-old Englishwoman could not hide her annoyance as she was broken back before losing the next three games.

Dart let out a scream of frustration as Krejcikova held serve for a 6-5 lead, gesturing to her team before being broken to love to ultimately concede the match.

Krejcikova, a two-time major winner in singles, had previously served for the match at 6-5 up in the second set.

Czech Krejcikova has played just five matches this year after a lengthy lay-off with a back injury.

She lost her opening grass-court match of the season at Queen's last week but the battling nature of her win over Englishwoman Dart will give her confidence before her Wimbledon title defence.

Krejcikova will face another British player in Jodie Burrage in the second round.

Burrage, who missed last year's Wimbledon with an ankle injury, beat Japan's Moyuka Uchijima 6-3 6-2.

British number one Emma Raducanu battled into the second round with a comeback 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1 victory over Ann Li, but Sonay Kartal fell 6-3 7-6 (7-2) to former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Welsh teenager Mimi Xu also fell 6-3 6-4 to American Peyton Stearns.