Harriet Dart races through to US Open second round with straight sets win over Chloe Paquet… thanks to a VERY familiar addition to her coaching team

Harriet Dart effortlessly reached the second round of the US Open with the help of a new addition to the coaching team: her mother Susie.

The 28-year-old began working with legendary coach Olga Morozova at Wimbledon, but the 75-year-old Russian is reluctant to travel from her home base in the United Kingdom. That’s why Darts’ mother, a fine player herself, took over the reins in Cincinnati two weeks ago.

“It’s nice to still have my mother, she knows my game very well,” Dart said after beating France’s Chloe Paquet 6-1, 6-2.

“She can hit with me a little bit and she’s played, so she understands a lot of things. It’s nice to have her around, she hasn’t been around me that much since I was a junior.

“She wouldn’t say she’s a coach, even though she has the badge. She says her role is to throw me balls, but there’s a lot more to it. She’s helped me a lot.

“It’s a different dynamic, that’s for sure. We’ve only had one fight so far, so that’s good – it’s easier when it’s your mum because two minutes later you’re all fine again.

“We have a very good relationship.”

Dart also raved about the impact of Morozova, the runner-up at Wimbledon in 1974 who previously coached Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Laura Robson.

“She’s the most amazing human being,” Dart said. “She just brings a completely different perspective and it’s really nice to work with a woman. And also someone who’s been there and been at the top level, not only as a player but as a coach. I was really happy that she was open to working with me.

“She is the most positive coach I have ever worked with. She believes in me so much and that makes me believe in myself.”

That confidence will see Dart break into the world’s top 70 for the first time with this win, and she will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk on Wednesday. The No. 19 will be a step up in class, but Dart has beaten her before, in Eastbourne in 2022.

If she wins, the Dart team could soon be in trouble: Susie’s day job is head of year 2 at Arnold House boys’ school in London and the school year starts next week.

“She has to go back on Friday, but we’ll see,” Dart said. “We’ll come back to it if we need to.”