GB’s Kartal wins on WTA return after six months out
Sonay Kartal won her first match back on the WTA Tour, beating Spain’s Andrea Lazaro Garcia 6-2, 6-3 at the China Open after nearly six months out with a back injury. The win marks a confident start to her return as she tries to rebuild her ranking.
Kartal, 24, injured her lower back at Indian Wells in March and returned to competition at the Billie Jean King Cup on 22 September, losing narrowly to Marie Bouzkova. Against qualifier Lazaro Garcia, she broke serve five times and landed 69% of her first serves; world number 129 Kartal next faces China’s 31st seed Wang Xinyu. Elsewhere, Arthur Fery lost in Tokyo, while Holger Rune was beaten in his first ATP Tour match for almost a year.
- Sonay Kartal won 6-2, 6-3 on her WTA return.
- She had been out with a back injury for nearly six months.
- Her next opponent is China’s Wang Xinyu.