Sonay Kartal Stuns Belinda Bencic at Wuhan Open
Britain's Sonay Kartal achieved a remarkable upset by defeating ninth seed Belinda Bencic in the opening round of the Wuhan Open, marking a significant milestone in her comeback from injury.
In a thrilling start to the Wuhan Open, Britain’s Sonay Kartal delivered a stunning performance, upsetting ninth seed Belinda Bencic with a decisive 6-0, 7-5 victory. This win not only highlights Kartal’s resilience but also marks a significant step in her return to form following a lengthy injury layoff.
At just 24 years old, Kartal has faced considerable challenges over the past year. After reaching a career-high ranking of 44 following her impressive run at Wimbledon last year, she found herself slipping to 170th in the world due to a six-month absence from the sport caused by a stress fracture in her back.
Having made her comeback at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals last month, Kartal showed promising signs by reaching the third round at the Beijing Open prior to her match against Bencic. The victory over the Swiss world number 12, who was a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, represents the second biggest win of Kartal’s career by ranking.
Reflecting on her performance, Kartal expressed her determination to regain her previous level of play, stating, “I trusted that I would be able to get my level back, I just didn’t know how quickly.” She acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, “I can produce the level, but can I sustain it? I think that’s going to be the hardest challenge.”
Looking ahead, Kartal is set to face either Italian 15th seed Jasmine Paolini or 20-year-old Czech Nikola Bartunkova in the quest for a quarter-final spot. Her recent form has been encouraging, with four wins out of five matches since returning to the WTA Tour.
In other matches, former world number one Iga Swiatek also advanced, achieving her 40th win of the season with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over fellow Pole Magdalena Frech.
As the tournament progresses, fans will be keen to follow Kartal’s journey and see if she can continue her impressive comeback in the world of tennis.
Source: This original report was produced by WTGO Newsroom using verified reporting from BBC Sport.