Wimbledon 2024: Harriet Dart vs Wang Xinyu preview, head-to-head, prediction and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Harriet Dart vs Wang Xinyu
Date: July 6, 2024
Tournament: Wimbledon 2024
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize Money: £50,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN, Tennis Channel | UK - BBC | Canada - TSN/RDS, ESPN International
Harriet Dart vs Wang Xinyu preview
Wang Xinyu and Harriet Dart scored similarly hard-fought upset wins on Thursday to set up an exciting third-round clash at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.
Dart, who received a wildcard entry into this year’s tournament, came through in a third-set tiebreaker against compatriot and British No. 1 Katie Boulter 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(8). The win saw her reverse a first-round loss to the same opponent at Nottingham and would have filled her with confidence.
The Brit has not had the best of seasons, coming into her home Slam with an underwhelming 19-19 win-loss record.
Xinyu, meanwhile, scored her second consecutive three-set win when she beat fifth seed Jessica Pegula in her second-round match. The Chinese, who had ousted Viktoriya Tomova in her opener in three sets, came back strong after a second-set stumble to win 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-1.
Much like her opponent, Xinyu also came into Wimbledon after an average win-loss for the year at 17-16. Her powerful game, however, has come alive on the grasscourts of the All England Club.
Harriet Dart vs Wang Xinyu head-to-head
Dart leads Xinyu in the head-to-head 1-0, having beaten her in their only previous meeting at Melbourne in 2022.
Harriet Dart vs Wang Xinyu odds
(Odds will be updated when available.)
Harriet Dart vs Wang Xinyu prediction
Harriet Dart has time-and-again shown her ability to step up when playing at home. The Brit likes to stay low on the legs and can generate good pace in her shots, especially off the backhand side.
Playing against Katie Boulter, she was visibly nervous but came into her own as the match progressed. She, however, cannot afford another slow start against the explosive Wang Xinyu.
The Chinese player plays an aggressive brand of tennis and uses her powerful groundstrokes to dictate play. She has come up against some solid resistance from Viktoriya Tomova and Jessica Pegula, but was able to come through on both occasions.
Both players have been wasteful on break point conversions, with Xinyu faring better at 52% against Dart’s 33%. The Brit’s second serve is also the more vulnerable of the two and the pressure showed in the form of 12 double faults in her last match.
Dart will be buoyed by the boisterous home crowd, but will need to be at her best to overcome the unfavorable numbers and an explosive opponent.
Prediction: Xinyu to win in three sets.