🎾 Charleston WTA: Gracheva vs Dart

🎾 Charleston WTA: Gracheva vs Dart

🧠 Form & Context

🟦 Varvara Gracheva

• 📉 Underwhelming 2025 start: Just 4 wins in 7 tournaments so far.
• 🌟 Notable victories: Beat Peyton Stearns in Austin and Petra Kvitova in Indian Wells.
• 🎾 Green clay history: Three prior Charleston appearances, with best results being 2nd rounds in 2023 and 2024.
• 🧱 Solid on clay: Reached a 125k semifinal and Roland-Garros 4th round last year.

🟥 Harriet Dart

• 🪨 Clay court struggles: 0–6 career record in WTA main draws on clay, all losses in straight sets.
• 📉 Rough 2025 season: Just one tour-level main draw win since the 2023 US Open.
• 🇵🇹 Porto runner-up: Reached W75 final in Portugal this March—her lone bright spot.
• ⛔ No top-100 wins: Yet to beat a top-100 opponent this year.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Neither player enters Charleston brimming with confidence. Gracheva at least has a couple of notable wins this season and better historical success on clay. Dart’s record on the surface is a clear liability—she has not won a WTA-level clay match, with every loss coming in straight sets.

Gracheva is likely to benefit from familiarity with green clay, and if she plays with controlled aggression, she should be able to dictate rallies. Dart will need to serve well and keep points short to avoid getting dragged into baseline exchanges.