Photo via BBC Sport

Fit-again Kartal takes top-50 scalp with Wuhan win

Sonay Kartal made a strong return to competitive tennis, securing her first WTA Tour victory in six months with a commanding 7-5, 6-3 win over Anhelina Kalinina in Wuhan. The British No.

5, ranked 170th globally, dominated the match with four aces and a first-serve efficiency of 77%, overcoming two match points from Kalinina to advance to the round of 32. Her recent form includes a third-round appearance at the Beijing Open, where she defeated Andrea Lazaro Garcia and Wang Xinyu before falling to Alina Charaeva.

Kartal’s resurgence follows a brief absence due to a back stress fracture, and she will next face ninth seed Belinda Bencic in her next round clash.

Meanwhile, Zheng Qinwen, the rising Chinese star, withdrew from the Wuhan Open after winning the China Open earlier this month. Zheng cited fatigue as the reason for her absence, noting her body was strained following an intense schedule.

The 2023 Beijing champion had undergone elbow surgery last year and had struggled with consistency before her recent upturn in form.

Up nextTennis· 39m ago

Sonay Kartal continues impressive return to WTA Tour with straight set win at Wuhan Open