Harriet Dart fought from a set down to knock out fifth-seeded Paula Badosa 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the 2026 Guangzhou Open quarterfinals on Friday, earning just the second WTA semifinal berth of her career in the process.
The British qualifier, sitting at No. 115 in the WTA rankings, looked outmatched early as Badosa dictated play through the first frame. The Spaniard served out the set at 6-3, but Dart regrouped in the second. She broke Badosa's serve, leveling the match at a set apiece with a convincing 6-2 finish.
Badosa Needed Multiple Medical Timeouts 3-Set Loss
From there, the decider grew tense. Badosa required two stoppages for medical attention while battling the heat in Guangzhou, yet she refused to retire from the match.
Despite fading physically, the 61st-ranked Spanish national fought off a match point while trailing 3-5, then broke back to pull within a game. Still, Dart held her nerve, responding with a love hold to finish the job.
"It was an incredible battle. I really needed to hang in there during the tough moments and wait for a chance," Dart said afterward. "Luckily I was able to take my chance."
Dart, who came through qualifying earlier in the week after upsetting No. 2-seed Janice Tjen, will next meet 16-year-old wildcard Sun Xinran in Saturday's semifinal.
