Sonay Kartal continues impressive return to WTA Tour with straight set win at Wuhan Open

Sonay Kartal has made a strong comeback to the WTA Tour with a straight sets victory over Anhelina Kalinina at the Wuhan Open. The Brit, who had been sidelined for six months recovering from a back injury, defeated Kalinina 7-5, 6-3 in just one hour and 31 minutes. This win brought Kartal to the second round of the tournament, setting up a match against ninth seed Belinda Bencic.

Prior to this, Kartal had returned to competition at the China Open last week, reaching the third round. She had been ranked 170th due to her injury and time away from the sport. Since her return, Kartal has shown promise, defeating Andrea Lazaro Garcia and Wang Xinyu in Beijing before her loss to Alina Charaeva in the third round.

Meanwhile, Zheng Qinwen pulled out of the Wuhan Open, citing fatigue following an intense schedule. Zheng had previously recovered from elbow surgery and struggled with form and fitness over the past year, but a recent resurgence led to her win in Beijing.