Britain's Sonay Kartal reached her first WTA 1000 final after beating Jelena Ostapenko in Wuhan on Saturday. The 24-year-old won 7-6, 7-6, taking the two tie-breaks 11-9 and 7-5. A tie-break decides a set when the score reaches 6-6. She became only the second British woman to reach a final at this level, following Johanna Konta.
Kartal fought back in both sets and saved four set points—chances for her opponent to win a set. Although Ostapenko hit 50 winning shots, she could not take either set. Kartal described the match as one of her toughest and said she was especially proud of how she handled the mental challenge.
Currently ranked 170th in the world, Kartal will move into the top 50 and become Britain's highest-ranked woman. Wuhan is only her third tournament since returning from a back injury. In Sunday's final, she will face Maja Chwalinska, who defeated Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1. Kartal said reaching the final so soon after her return was an important achievement.
