Harriet Dart booked her place in the first round of the Australian Open with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Italian Giulia Gatto-Monticone.

The British No 3 broke her opponent a total of seven times as she put in a dominant display to qualify for the Melbourne Grand Slam for a second time.

She joins fellow Brits Johanna Konta, Heather Watson and Katie Boulter in the main draw, which begins on Monday, January 20.

Last year, Dart was eliminated in the first round by Maria Sharapova without winning a single game.

But her run to the third round at Wimbledon, before being knocked out by No 1 seed Ashleigh Barty, will give her confidence heading into the first major of the season.

There have been concerns and delays to qualifying due to the air quality in Melbourne as a result of the raging bushfires and organisers say the conditions will be 'monitored constantly'.