Sonay Kartal's impressive run at the Wuhan Open concluded with a final defeat against Maja Chwalinska. The match ended 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in favour of Chwalinska, who secured her first WTA 1000 trophy.
Despite missing out on the biggest title of her career, Kartal's performance in the tournament will elevate her to a new ranking of 50, making her the British No 1 for the first time. This achievement comes only two weeks after she returned from a six-month absence due to a back injury.
Kartal, ranked 170 in the world, was the lowest-ranked player to reach a final at this level since the format's introduction in 2009. Her efforts appeared to catch up with her during the match, with fatigue reportedly showing as the game progressed.