Sonay Kartal crushes comeback with Wuhan upset over Paolini
British player Sonay Kartal defeated two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini in straight sets at the Wuhan Open.
Kartal returned from six months out with a back injury. She beat 15th seed Paolini 6-2 6-0 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals.
Kartal won the final 11 games while Paolini played with many mistakes. Paolini is a French Open and Wimbledon runner-up.
The 24-year-old Brit matched her best result at a WTA 1000 event. She also reached the quarter-finals in Beijing last year.
Kartal dropped only two games in the match. She will play fifth seed Elina Svitolina next.
The Wuhan Open has had many surprises. Top seed Aryna Sabalenka and second seed Jessica Pegula both lost on Wednesday in their second-round matches.
- 24
- Kartal's age
- 6 months
- Time out injured
- 6-2 6-0
- Match score
- 15th
- Paolini's seeding
Why it mattersKartal's strong return from injury at a top-tier tournament shows she can compete for major titles.
AustraliaNo direct Australian impact, but the Wuhan Open is a major women's tennis event closely followed by Australian tennis fans and players.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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