In one of the rarest opportunities in the sport of tennis would one get the chance to compete with their childhood idol on the biggest stages of the sport. Brit youngster #HarrietDart will have the golden opportunity to vie for the win against someone she looked up to, #MariaSharapova, on the Rod Laver Arena at the 2019 #AustralianOpen.
Sharapova and Dart will be officially kicking off main draw play in Melbourne under the scorching hot sun. It came as a relatively mega surprise to many fans when this encounter was scheduled for the biggest court, but this match has so much meaning — it could be said to be a dream come true for Dart.
“I am super excited to play in the main draw. Sharapova has been my idol since I was very little,” Dart told the media after getting past the qualifying rounds. Considering Dart was just a seven-year-old kid just getting introduced to the sport when Sharapova won her first Wimbledon title at the age of 17, a dream became reality as Dart will now be able to receive the honour of opening the tournament alongside her idol.
Sharapova’s recent form
Sharapova started 2019 in the way no one would have opted for. Although she reached the quarterfinals, she was struck by a thigh injury and things seemed desperate for the Russian, whose body always broke down just when it mattered. She reached the quarterfinals at the Shenzhen Open, defeating former top-10 player Timea Bacsinszky but a second-round defeat ensued when local wildcard Wang Xinyu put in the performance of her life.
However, just when Wang was leading 7-6, 2-0, she suffered from cramps and was eventually forced to retire down 2-5 in the second set. A sweet moment then happened with Sharapova offering her care and concern for the 17-year-old young starlet. The Russian was then plagued by injuries of her own, falling 1-6, 2-4 to top seed and eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka when she threw in the white towel.
Dart’s recent form
Amassing a 42-22 (.656) win-loss record in 2018, Dart carried her good form into the new year looking for more success. Tipped as one of the biggest rising stars for British tennis, Dart stormed through the qualifying rounds at the Brisbane International with top-10 player Andrea Petkovic being one of her conquered victims. She won just her second WTA main draw match, beating local wildcard Priscilla Hon but was soon vanquished by world number 11 Anastasija Sevastova.
Being the 21st seed in the qualifiers of the Australian Open, Dart impressed her fans once more. The Brit defeated both Chloe Pacquet and Xu Shilin before recovering from a set down to beat the higher-ranked Ivana Jorovic to make her debut appearance in the main draw of Melbourne. This is also the first time in which Dart managed to get past the qualifying rounds of a Major.
Match Analysis
It looks as though Sharapova’s demeanour on the court alone might just overpower Dart. It is the fear which the Russian evokes through her game face which often forces her opponent to retreat into their defensive zone, allowing the five-time Major champion to play her usual aggressive game.
However, just as Dart mentioned to the media, she experienced the biggest stages of the sport previously and would not be afraid to go all out. The Brit stretched top-10 player Karolina Pliskova to three sets at Wimbledon last year, and if she were to be firing on all cylinders, she could exploit Sharapova’s injury concerns to make this match a competitive one.
Honestly, it all depends on the progress of Sharapova’s thigh injury and shoulder problems. She ended her 2018 season early due to a shoulder injury but her performance in Shenzhen is a cause for worry. If the Russian is fully fit, the win should not be a problem unless Dart produces the performance of her life against her idol.
Comments