[Women’s Singles Qualifying – Second Round]
Harriet Dart (Great Britain) def. Aoi Ito (SBC Medical Group), 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3

■Ito put up a good fight against Dart, whose career-high ranking is No. 70. Facing an opponent who sets herself firmly and hits with great precision, Ito countered with a mix of high, looping lobs and forehand slices. She managed to disrupt Dart’s rhythm, but ultimately could not turn the tide in her favor. In the second-set tiebreak, Ito saved a match point and prevailed 8-6. However, she fell just short in the deciding set.

■Reflecting on the final set, Ito said, “After I got broken, I went down 1-2. The balls were new with me playing against the wind, and then I lost two games at love to trail 1-4. That really hurt.” As she had been able to dictate rallies and win games when playing with the wind at her back, these unfavorable circumstances were particularly frustrating. She also noted that the extended rallies had taken a toll, saying, “It was physically tough.”

■The two had previously met in Cincinnati, Ohio, in August, when Ito suffered a decisive 6-3, 6-4 defeat. “I was able to show more resilience today, which was positive. I made a lot of mistakes last time, so I wanted to reduce my unforced errors, but I was a little short on the finishing power,” Ito said. The slow court conditions also made it difficult to put Dart away, as her opponent continued to get the balls even when Ito came to the net. Nevertheless, Ito showed the strength of her game in the baseline exchanges and remained optimistic, saying, “If I can improve my ability to finish points, I can compete better.”

(Japan Tennis Associatoin)