Zeynep Sönmez turned a one-set deficit into a three-set win on Tuesday, beating Harriet Dart 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the first round of Eastbourne Open. The result sent Sönmez into the next round and ended Dart’s run after a first set in which she had controlled the break count.
Eastbourne Open shift
Dart broke Sönmez three times in the opening set and also struck six aces, but the match changed once Sönmez steadied the second set. She saved two break points, moved ahead 2-0, and then broke twice more to build a 5-2 lead. From there, she forced the match into a deciding set.
The final set stayed tight until Dart served for the match at 5-3. Sönmez answered with three straight games to close it out. That sequence is the difference between leaving Eastbourne Open early and moving on with momentum from a three-set comeback.
Harriet Dart in Nottingham
Dart had arrived with recent form of her own. Last week she won the women’s doubles title in Nottingham with Maia Lumsden, so this was not a routine first-round opponent. The loss narrowed the focus back to singles for Sönmez, who handled a match that swung several times before the final turn.
For Sönmez, the practical next step is set: she will play Sara Bejlek, who is ranked world number 45. That gives her a clear target after a match that demanded a response in the second set and again when Dart reached 5-3 in the decider.
