Harriet Dart was brought to tears in the final-set tiebreak but fought back to surprise British number one Katie Boulter to reach the third round of Wimbledon.
World number 94 Dart had to calm herself down after falling 6-2 behind in the deciding round, but she won eight of the last 10 points to knock out the number 32.
Boulter’s forehand, normally her main weapon, became increasingly unpredictable in the windy conditions on Court One, allowing Dart to win 4-6 6-1 7-6 (10-8) in just under three hours.
“I wear my emotions on my sleeve, so you see how I think, unfortunately, but I’m so glad I was able to process it,” Dart said.
“My head-to-head matches against Katie Boulter have been absolutely terrible, so I didn’t expect too much, but I just gave it my best shot. Even though I was behind in the tiebreak, I thought: ‘Give it all, no regrets’. I’m really happy I was able to pull through.”
The 27-year-old will now face unseeded Wang Xiyu from China.
“I’ve just had a tough day at the office, unfortunately not my best tennis today,” Boulter said. “But that’s what happens sometimes. I just have to accept it. She played well.”
Dart composes itself as GB number two beats number one
It is the second time in less than a month that Britain’s numbers one and two have fought a marathon battle, after Boulter defeated Dart in Nottingham in a time of three hours and 13 minutes to claim her third WTA Tour title.
She was the clear favorite, but paid the price for 75 unforced errors, failing to reach the last 32 for the third year in a row.
Dart and Boulter were born four days apart and know each other’s game inside and out. Both players seemed nervous, which was also reflected in the crowd, which had no player to cheer on.
Dart created most of the chances throughout the match and Boulter almost crossed the line, but she faltered when she seemed to have decided the tiebreak.
A single service break gave Boulter the first set after Dart failed to convert three chances to take the first break in the fifth game.
Boulter’s level dropped alarmingly in the second set and she failed to hold serve in three attempts, while Dart quickly levelled the match.
The deciding match was a thrilling 94-minute battle. Boulter had the first chances but made three forehand errors on break points before Dart broke on her sixth break point at 2-2 when another forehand from her opponent missed.
With a 4-2 lead, Dart had a point for a double break, but Boulter saved the ball and then equalised with a backhand down the line to make it 4-4. The match went to a tiebreak with 10 points difference.
When Dart was forced to wipe tears from her eyes at 6-2 down, defeat seemed inevitable but she persevered and Boulter’s forehand broke again, losing to a British player for the first time on the main tour.
Miyazaki defeated by Kasatkina in 50 minutes
Britain’s Lily Miyazaki lost in the second round of Wimbledon, having failed to win a single match against Daria Kasatkina.
The Russian number 14, who won the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, won 6-0 6-0 in 50 minutes.
World number 148 Miyazaki recorded the biggest win of her career when she defeated Tamara Korpatsch in the first round, but she could not repeat her feat.
The 28-year-old Miyazaki struggled to keep the ball in play. Kasatkina made 31 unforced errors, 53 of which were points.
The 27-year-old Kasatkina will play against Spain’s Paula Badosa in the third round.
