British No.2 Sonay Kartal suffered a disappointing first-round exit at the Australian Open on Tuesday, losing to No.31 seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6(3) 6-1. The 23-year-old blew an early break lead in the opening set before fading in the second, admitting afterwards that her performance was well below par.
“Obviously, very disappointed. I think, for me, it was not my finest at all, even my base level was not really there today,” Kartal said. “It’s obviously frustrating. I think if I could go back out there now and play that match again, I would play a completely different way.” The Brighton-based player felt she was too passive, relying on Kalinskaya to miss rather than taking control herself.
After a tight first set that lasted over an hour, Kartal’s level dropped dramatically in the second. “I think my level got even worse… it was just not really fun on the court in that second set,” she said. “I think ultimately, my level dipped to a level that hasn't been that low for years, probably.”
Kartal, who reached the quarter-finals in Auckland earlier this month, now turns her attention to doubles and improvements ahead. “Win or lose tomorrow, I just want to feel like I'm playing clean again,” she added. Her immediate goal is to return to the top 50 by the summer, with a long-term aim of breaking into the top 30 before the end of the year.
