British tennis player Sonay Kartal, 24, secured a significant victory against world No 12 Belinda Bencic in the second round of the Wuhan Open. Kartal, from Brighton, won the match 6-0 7-5, marking her second biggest career win.
The win follows Kartal's return to the sport last month at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, after missing six months of the season due to a stress fracture in her back. She had previously reached the third round in Beijing last week.
Kartal expressed confidence in regaining her form, stating, “I trusted that I would be able to get my level back, I just didn’t know how quickly.” She added that sustaining her level would be the hardest challenge. Currently ranked 170, Kartal is projected to rise approximately 40 spots following her performance.