No. 170 Kartal reaches first WTA 1000 final after injury layoff

Sonay Kartal reached the biggest final of her career at the Wuhan Open, defeating Jelena Ostapenko in two tie-break sets after recovering from 4-1 deficits in both. The victory made Kartal, ranked No. 170 at the start of the week, the lowest-ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final since the format began, and is expected to lift her into the top 50 and make her Britain’s No. 1. The run marks a remarkable return for the 24-year-old, who missed six months with a back injury and is playing only her third tournament since coming back. Kartal said her composure through the difficult match made it one of the best performances of her career.