Kartal marks comeback with convincing win at China Open

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SONAY KARTAL marked her WTA Tour comeback with a straight-sets victory over Spain’s Andrea Lazaro Garcia in Beijing today.

The 24-year-old, who returned from a six-month injury absence in Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie last week, impressed in her first tournament appearance since March by recording a 6-2 6-3 victory and setting up a second-round meeting with 31st seed Wang Xinyu.

Kartal has slipped to 129 in the world rankings from a high of 44 after suffering a stress fracture during a run to the fourth round in Indian Wells earlier this year, and missed the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

She will likely have to get to the quarter-finals in Beijing to avoid slipping further down the rankings having reached the last eight of the tournament in 2025.

Harriet Dart joined Kartal and Katie Boulter in the next round after prevailing 6-2 6-7 (5) 7-5 in a three-hour battle with 17-year-old Chinese wild card Qu Yihan.

Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie was beaten 7-6 (1) 6-4 by newly crowned US Open champion Alexander Zverev in the first round of the China Open in Beijing.

The Briton blew a set point opportunity then collapsed in the subsequent tie-break after taking the first point.

Zverev, who is intent on closing in on world number one Jannik Sinner, who is not playing in China, grabbed the crucial break in the ninth game of the second set before sealing his victory.

It was Zverev’s ninth consecutive main tour victory over Norrie, who was playing his first match since his disappointing early exit at Flushing Meadows.

Elsewhere, British number one Arthur Fery was bundled out of the Japan Open in the first round with a shock 4-6 6-3 4-6 loss to Portugal’s Jaime Faria.