Britain’s Harriet Dart won her first WTA title after coming from a set down to beat Lilli Tagger in the final of the Guangzhou Open in China. Dart, who saved three match points in her semi-final win over Sun Xinran to reach her first tour-level final, edged a thrilling match against the 18-year-old from Austria 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

A tearful Harriet Dart covers her eyes after beating Lilli Tagger of Austria in the Guangzhou Open final. Photograph: AP

Dart, the British No 5 and a qualifier, dropped serve in the opening game and had to save a break point in her next service game before finally getting on the board against the fourth seed. The 30-year-old from Hampstead broke back for 4-4, but Tagger hit straight back before wrapping up the first set.

The first break point of the second set came the way of Dart, who took it for 5-3 on her way to levelling the match.

In a tense deciding set, a run of five consecutive breaks of serve ended when a gutsy Dart saved two break points to hold for 5-3.…