British Player Sonay Kartal Upsets Elina Svitolina to Reach Semifinals at Wuhan Open

Wuhan, October 16 (Daily Kiran) : Sonay Kartal of Britain achieved a remarkable upset on Friday at the Wuhan Open, defeating world number six Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. This victory propels Kartal into the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time in her career.

The match lasted two hours and three minutes. Kartal secured the first set with relative ease but faced a setback in the second. However, she regained her momentum in the third set, establishing an early lead that ultimately secured her place in the semifinals.

In the semifinals, Kartal will face Jelena Ostapenko, who triumphed over Diana Schneider in her quarterfinal match. Ostapenko was down 2-5 in the first set but rallied to win 7-6 (6), 6-1.

Kartal has recently returned to the sport after a prolonged absence due to a back injury. This marks her third tournament back, and she is now the second British player to reach the semifinals since the WTA 1000 format began in 2009, following Johanna Konta.

Reflecting on her performance, Kartal expressed pride in her determination throughout the match. “Despite winning the first set easily, I knew Svitolina is a great fighter. I realized I wasn’t safe until the last point was played. I’m proud of the resolve I showed in this match. I think I maintained a lot of composure throughout. This week, I’m achieving something new. I’ve never reached a WTA 1000 semifinal before,” she said.

Previously ranked 44th, Kartal made it to the third round of the China Open last week. She has showcased her skills during the Asian swing, defeating world number 48 Anhelina Kalinina in the first round, and then overcoming 12th-ranked Belinda Bencic in the Round of 32. In the pre-quarterfinals, she also bested former French Open and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini.

This victory against Svitolina marks Kartal’s first win in three encounters between the two players.