Home / Sports / Kartal Shocks No. 9 Seed Bencic in Wuhan Upset
Kartal Shocks No. 9 Seed Bencic in Wuhan Upset
14 Oct
Summary
- Sonay Kartal defeated ninth seed Belinda Bencic 6-0, 7-5.
- Kartal is rebuilding her career after a six-month injury absence.
- This win marks her fourth victory in five matches since returning.
Sonay Kartal has continued her impressive post-injury comeback at the Wuhan Open, stunning ninth seed Belinda Bencic with a decisive 6-0, 7-5 victory. Kartal, who reached a career-high ranking of 44 last year, had slipped to 170th after a six-month absence due to a stress fracture in her back sustained in March.
Her return to action last month for Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals has been strong. She reached the third round of the Beijing Open and has now secured four wins in her last five matches on the WTA Tour, demonstrating significant resilience and form.
Former world number one Iga Swiatek also advanced in Wuhan, achieving her 40th win of the season. Kartal's victory over Bencic sets up a potential third-round match against Jasmine Paolini or Nikola Bartunkova, as she pushes for a quarter-final spot.
