‘It’s been a long time coming’ – Billie Jean King Captain on ‘huge milestone’ for Harriet Dart
Former British number one Anne Keothavong has backed Harriet Dart for a breakthrough year after achieving a “huge milestone” in her career.
The London-born Dart has had a great start to the 2022 season, notably enjoying a fantastic run at the Indian Wells Masters where she reached the last 16.
She defeated former Grand Slam finalist Elina Svitolina and 2022 Australian Open quarter-finalist Kaia Kanepi in California en-route to her most significant performance in a tournament of her career. It saw Dart break into the top 100 for the very first time in her career.
Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong discussed Dart’s recent performances, her breaking into the top 100 and the belief that Dart can now push on and have her best ever season.
“It was great to see,” she said. “She did a good job of stringing all those matches and she completed well. The conditions suited her perfectly and when she’s in the right mindset she’s a tough opponent for anyone out there.
“Once you break into the top 100, it’s a huge milestone and it’s been a long time coming for Harriet so I’m pleased to see her crack the top 100.
“Now she just needs to continue building. It’s all about taking these opportunities and now that her ranking is higher, hopefully entry into some of the bigger events will be easier. She will hopefully have guaranteed main draw status at the French Open and potentially Wimbledon.
Anne Keothavong also went on to discuss the future of women’s tennis in Britain, the impact of Emma Raducanu and how it’s a “changing of the guard.”
“I guess a lot has happened over the past year and obviously Emma’s success has been highlighted and we’ve seen what she’s been able to achieve in such a short space of time,” she explained. “So we’re kind of getting into the unknown a little bit, and there has been a bit of a changing of the guard.
“I’m sure Emma will embrace her position, lead the team by example and really grow in that role in the years to come.”
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