WTA Tour
Harriet Dart is into the first WTA singles final of her career, 11 years after her WTA Tour debut. The 30-year-old British qualifier saved three match points against the 16-year-old wildcard Sun Xinran before winning their Guangzhou Open semi-final 5-7, 7-6(1), 6-0 on Saturday, and plays the No. 4 seed Lilli Tagger for the title on Sunday 1 November.
Three Match Points Saved
Dart, ranked No. 115, lost the first set to Sun, ranked No. 405 and the reigning US Open junior champion, after double-faulting twice while serving for it. In the second set the pair broke each other twice, and at 4-5 Dart faced three match points on her own serve and saved them all. She took the tie-break 7-1. Sun took a medical time-out for her left leg and did not win another game, and Dart took 28 of the 41 points in the decider. The match lasted two and a half hours.
“It’s been a really long journey,” Dart said afterwards. It was only the second WTA semi-final of her career, after the Transylvania Open in 2024.
Her Route to the Final
Dart came through two rounds of qualifying before her main-draw run, which included wins over two seeds and a former world No. 2.
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| First round | Tatiana Prozorova (Q) | 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 |
| Second round | Janice Tjen (2) | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 |
| Quarter-finals | Paula Badosa (5) | 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 |
| Semi-finals | Sun Xinran (WC) | 5-7, 7-6(1), 6-0 |
What the Final Is Worth
The run has already lifted Dart 14 places to No. 101 in the live rankings, and Sky Sports reports that the title would take her back inside the top 100. She started the week as Britain’s fifth-ranked woman, behind Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Francesca Jones and Emma Raducanu, in the rankings of 26 October.
| Runner-up | Champion | |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking points | 163 | 250 |
| Prize money | $22,125 | $37,390 |
The Opponent: Lilli Tagger
Tagger is 18, Austrian and already a tour champion. She won the Roland-Garros girls’ title in 2025, the first Austrian to do so, and her first WTA title in Prague in July 2026, beating Daria Snigur 7-6(3), 6-2 in the final. She was ranked No. 57 when the Guangzhou draw was made. Her semi-final was one-sided: a 6-2, 6-0 win over Kaitlin Quevedo in 52 minutes, in which she held all seven service games without facing a break point and won all 19 points on her first serve. She beat Han Shi 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the quarter-finals. This is their first meeting on the WTA Tour.
How to Watch
The final is scheduled for 08:30 UK time on Sunday 1 November, live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+. Dart’s next match page has the details.
FAQ
Harriet Dart Guangzhou Final FAQs
Is this Harriet Dart’s first WTA final?
Yes. Guangzhou is the first WTA singles final of her career, 11 years after her WTA Tour debut, and only her second WTA semi-final, after the Transylvania Open in 2024.
Who does Harriet Dart play in the Guangzhou final?
The No. 4 seed Lilli Tagger, an 18-year-old from Austria who won her first WTA title in Prague in July 2026. It is their first meeting on the WTA Tour.
What time is the Guangzhou Open final?
It is scheduled for 08:30 UK time on Sunday 1 November, live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+.
How did Dart reach the final?
She came through qualifying, then beat Tatiana Prozorova, the No. 2 seed Janice Tjen, the No. 5 seed Paula Badosa and the wildcard Sun Xinran, saving three match points in the semi-final.
What will the final do for Dart’s ranking?
The run has lifted her to No. 101 in the live rankings. The title is worth 250 ranking points and would take her back inside the top 100.