Sonay Kartal’s dream week continued as she defeated former Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko at the Wuhan Open to reach the biggest final of her career.
British number five Kartal is competing in only her third event since returning from a six-month absence due to a back injury, but she is now one victory away from a WTA 1,000 title – one of the most prestigious prizes outside the Grand Slam.
The 24-year-old’s composure helped her to a 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (7-5) victory in a thrilling semi-final against Latvia’s Ostapenko.
Kartal trailed 4-1 in both sets, but remained balanced and took advantage of Ostapenko, 34th, stuttering in high-pressure moments.
Remarkably, Kartal survived three set points in the first set, and three more set points in the second, to secure a victory that will long be remembered.
“It was probably one of the toughest matches I have ever played,” Kartal said.
“Sometimes she’s unplayable and you have to ride that wave. Mentally, it’s one of the best performances of my career.”
The world No. 170 is the lowest-ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final since the format was introduced in 1990.
Kartal, who was ranked 54th just before her long absence, will face either six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek or Roland Garros finalist Maja Chwalinska in Sunday’s final.
Reaching the final means Kartal, who is ranked 44th in the world, will return to the world top 50 and become Britain’s number one player when the next rankings are released on Monday.
Gn sports
