Kartal Builds on Beijing Confidence
Sonay Kartal is making a strong case that her comeback from a serious back injury is well and truly underway. The 24-year-old British player defeated Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 7-5, 6-3 at the Wuhan Open, a match that lasted just over 90 minutes and showcased exactly the kind of decisive, clean tennis that fans had hoped to see from her.
This result follows Kartal's run to the third round at the Beijing Open earlier this month, which marked her first WTA tournament appearance after six months on the sidelines with a stress fracture in her back. She had also made her competitive return at the Billie Jean King Cup team event, where she fell narrowly to world number 26 Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic before posting wins over Andrea Lazaro Garcia of Spain and Wang Xinyu. The momentum has clearly carried over.
Against world number 48 Kalinina, Kartal fired four aces and won an impressive 23 of 30 points when getting her first serve in. She had to save two match points before finally sealing victory on her third attempt, keeping her composure when it mattered most.
Bencic Up Next, Zheng Exits Early
Kartal's next challenge arrives in the form of Swiss ninth seed Belinda Bencic, a stern test that will reveal just how far the British player's game has progressed during this comeback stretch. Currently sitting at number 170 in the world rankings after her injury layoff, Kartal has everything to gain.
Elsewhere, home favorite Zheng Qinwen withdrew from the tournament citing physical fatigue following her triumph at the China Open in Beijing, where she became the first Chinese player to win that title. TennisDraw users tracking Kartal's bracket had her penciled in as a potential surprise run candidate this week.
