Sonay Kartal delivered an outstanding performance at Indian Wells, reaching the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time. After losing in the final round of qualifiers, she entered the main draw as a “lucky loser” following Sloane Stephens’ withdrawal due to injury. She made the most of this opportunity by securing three victories, including an impressive win over world No. 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia.
In the third round, Kartal defeated Polina Kudermetova 7-5, 6-3, taking advantage of her opponent’s mental collapse while maintaining her composure. With this success, she is expected to climb nearly 20 places in the rankings. Her next challenge will be a fourth-round clash against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Kartal stated that entering the tournament unexpectedly helped relieve pressure, allowing her to play with more freedom. As one of Britain’s rising tennis stars, she will now aim to pull off a surprise against the top-ranked player.
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