Sonay Kartal's fairytale week in Wuhan ended in heartbreak as the Brit blew a set and break lead in the final. But the Brighton local, 24, is still taking the positive despite a 2-6 6-4 6-2 defeat to No.16 seed Maja Chwalinska.
Kartal arrived at the Wuhan Open as the world No.170 and was playing just her third tournament back from a six-month injury layoff. She has now returned to No.50 – higher than her protected ranking of No.57 and six places away from her career-high.
A Physical Battle
The Brit led 2-0 in the second set but was broken in a game that was interrupted when one of Chwalinska's shoelaces broke. She seemed to run out of steam in the decider.
“I think she's a very tricky player, I think she's very different to how a lot of the girls play on the tour,” Kartal said. “It was a very physical battle. I had my chances and I think that's maybe the rust of six months [away] comes in.”
Positives Outweigh the Result
Despite the defeat, Kartal remained upbeat. “But overall, my performance, I'm very happy with. Obviously not the result I wanted, and yeah, it's going to sting for a little while,” she said.
“But I think for me, the positives this week outweigh that result. I'm leaving here head held high and in a good spot overall. My goal coming into this Asian swing was to try and just defend those points I had from last year, and try and make the use of the protected ranking worthwhile.”
“I think I did above and beyond for that in the two events that I have played. Ultimately, the goal has been achieved this week, so I'm happy with the performance this week and I think I'm in a good spot for the rest of the year and next year.”
British No.1 Dream Achieved
Kartal also becomes the British No.1 for the very first time, overtaking Katie Boulter. She added: “British No. 1 has always been a dream of mine to achieve. It's maybe not been the top of my priority list, but it was one that I definitely wanted to tick off once in my career. Very proud to be able to have that have that number next to my name.”
Chwalinska, who reached the French Open final as a qualifier in June, rises to No.11 after picking up a maiden title. The Pole started the season ranked outside the world's top 140 and said: “I would like to thank my team, of course. My two coaches, my physio for being with me this week, but every week basically! A few people are definitely watching at home, so they know who they are. I'm very grateful for every person in my life.”
