Britain's Sonay Kartal described reaching her maiden WTA 1000 final at the Wuhan Open as a 'dream come true' after defeating Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets, 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (7-5). The 24-year-old, returning from a back injury, saved multiple set points to overcome Ostapenko, who hit 50 winners in the match. Kartal becomes only the second British woman to reach a WTA 1000 final, after Johanna Konta.
She will face Maja Chwalinska in the final, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 11.30am. Kartal praised her mental resilience as one of her strongest assets and credited her support team for her injury-free return. Currently ranked 170th, she is set to break into the top 50 and become the new British No 1.
Her run includes victories over five former finalists, a feat last achieved by Naomi Osaka in 2005. Kartal said she has embraced the underdog role throughout the tournament and is proud of her performance despite limited recent match play.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing