A Comeback Story Getting Better With Every Match
Sonay Kartal's return from a serious back injury continues to exceed all expectations. The 24-year-old Briton dismantled Italian 15th seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-0 in the Wuhan Open round of 16, winning the final 11 games of the match in a performance she described as "a pretty flawless performance." According to tournament statistics, Kartal, currently ranked 170 in the world, is the lowest-ranked player to reach the Wuhan Open quarter-finals since the event launched in 2014. That statistic alone underlines just how remarkable her run has been.
Kartal missed more than six months this season after suffering a stress fracture in her back. The injury was severe enough that she was left unable to brush her teeth without significant pain, and it forced her to miss Wimbledon, where she had reached the fourth round the previous year. Her patience through that difficult period is now paying off in a big way. She returned to action at the Billie Jean King Cup three weeks ago, then advanced to the third round in Beijing before heading to Wuhan, where she has not dropped a single set across three victories, including wins over 2020 Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and now Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist.
Quarter-Final Date With Svitolina Awaits
Kartal's reward for beating Paolini is a quarter-final showdown against fifth seed Elina Svitolina, who beat Chinese wild card Guo Hanyu 6-1 6-4. Kartal has spoken of growing confidence with each passing match, and with a potential return to the top 100 on the horizon, the momentum behind her comeback feels very real. TennisDraw users had Paolini advancing deep into the draw, making Kartal's dominant victory one of the more eye-catching upsets of the week.
