Kartal Stuns Svitolina to Reach Wuhan Semi-Finals

British tennis player Sonay Kartal continued her impressive comeback from injury by defeating fifth seed Elina Svitolina in three sets to reach her first WTA 1000 semi-final at the Wuhan Open.

Kartal continues strong comeback

The 24-year-old secured a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Ukraine’s Svitolina after spending more than six months out with a stress fracture in her back.

The win marked Kartal’s sixth victory in eight matches since returning to competition. She had already defeated Italian 15th seed Jasmine Paolini and Swiss ninth seed Belinda Bencic in earlier rounds.

Kartal had not dropped a set before the quarter-final, but Svitolina fought back after losing the opening set to force a decider.

Svitolina fights back before decisive break

Kartal made an early breakthrough in the first set, while Svitolina later took a medical timeout for treatment on her right arm.

The Ukrainian recovered to claim the second set 6-2, setting up a tense final set. Both players remained competitive, but Kartal broke Svitolina’s serve at 5-4 to seal the victory.

Kartal, who entered the tournament using a protected injury ranking, praised her opponent’s fighting spirit after the match.

She said she knew Svitolina was a strong competitor and could never feel comfortable on court. Kartal also thanked the Wuhan crowd, describing the atmosphere as amazing.

Ostapenko awaits in the semi-finals

Kartal will face Latvia’s Jeļena Ostapenko on Saturday for a place in the final. The 2017 French Open champion defeated 11th seed Diana Shnaider 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 to advance.

The remaining quarter-finals feature Poland’s Maja Chwalinska against Greece’s Maria Sakkari, while American Ann Li faces six-time Grand Slam champion and seventh seed Iga Swiatek.