Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart set for fiery reunion after tempters boiled over

Never mind the ballots - Harriet Dart is ready for another Battle of Britain with Katie Boulter on General Election day.

And Dart, whose sister Phoebe works for Tory MP Stephen Crabb in the House of Commons, warned she is in no mood to mourn on the fourth of July.

Play during Dart’s comprehensive 6-4, 6-0 win over China’s Bai Zhuoxuan was momentarily interrupted by a flying champagne cork landing on court - conclusive proof that tennis fans are only hooligans when armed with Bollinger.

Her second-round clash with British No.1 Boulter, who battled to a 7-6, 7-5 win against Tatjana Maria, should also be a real corker.

Their previous meeting, in Nottingham last month, was a bad-tempered, three-hour epic, with Dart repeatedly challenging line calls from the chair umpire, and their rivalry has sometimes been frostier than the bowl of Frosties on your breakfast table.

For Dart, 27, putting a cork in it was a new experience at Wimbledon and she said: “I didn't even realise what it was - I thought it was a leaf or something.

“I was just in my own little world, in my own bubble, but yeah - it was definitely a first.”

Dart, who reached the third round here in 2019, has been ordered to cast her vote tomorrow by her sister, but her performance against Zhuoxuan ticked all the right boxes.

“I haven't given it (the General Election) much thought,” she said. “But my sister works for an MP, so I'm sure she'll be on at me to vote.

“Looking back at photos from 2019, I always think I was such a baby then. But I'm definitely a better player now, and I still feel like I have so much more to give.

“Talking about five years ago makes me feel old, and I don't take any of these moments for granted because you never know how many years you're going to play or what's around the corner.

“But I have nothing to lose, that's for sure.”

Boulter needed a wildcard to play at Wimbledon last year, but after winning two titles on the WTA circuit she is seeded this time as one of the world’s top 30.

And for the first time since 1987, Britain have five players through to the second round in the ladies’ singles draw.

Boulter insists she won’t be distracted by niceties like casting her vote tomorrow, saying: “I'm going to stick to the tennis right now.

“I don't see myself as someone who's going to get involved in anything but tennis that day for the moment, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

“Harriet and I know each other's games inside-out and back-to-front because we've played so many matches.

“I have a lot of respect for her on this surface. It's one of her favourite ones, and this is actually her home club. She's been here since she was a tiny tot with her mum

"Playing a Brit on the grass in the UK is never an easy draw and I‘m expecting a tough battle. We’ve played a few times before and I’m going to look at those but it’s about playing the tennis ball, not about playing the person.”

Boulter struggled to deal with Maria’s slice and edged two desperately tight sets against the 2022 Wimbledon semi-finalist.

She admitted: ‘She made me work for absolutely everything. I’m looking forward to the ice bath – and I can’t say I’ve ever said that before.”