Back on Tour and Straight Into Business
Sonay Kartal made her long-awaited return to WTA Tour competition count on Thursday, defeating Spanish qualifier Andrea Lazaro Garcia 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the China Open in Beijing. The 24-year-old had been sidelined since suffering a lower-back injury at Indian Wells back in March, a brutal interruption that halted what had been a promising stretch of form. She had beaten two seeded players before the injury struck, making the layoff even harder to take.
Kartal only stepped back onto a competitive court on September 22 at the Billie Jean King Cup, where she narrowly fell to Czech player Marie Bouzkova in what was more of a confidence-rebuilding exercise than a must-win tie. Less than two weeks later, she looked noticeably sharper in Beijing, breaking her opponent's serve five times across the match and landing 69 percent of her first serves. Lazaro Garcia's four double faults helped, but Kartal pressed aggressively throughout and left little doubt about the outcome.
A Ranking Climb Beckons
Currently ranked 129th in the world, Kartal now faces Chinese 31st seed Wang Xinyu in the second round, a genuine test of where her game stands after such a lengthy absence. Fellow Britons Harriet Dart and Cameron Norrie were also scheduled to play in Beijing later on Thursday, giving British tennis fans plenty to follow at the tournament.
The road back up the rankings will take time and patience, but this opening win is exactly the kind of momentum a player needs after months away from competition. TennisDraw users tracking Kartal's bracket progress will be watching her clash with Wang Xinyu with real curiosity.
