Kartal wins two tiebreaks against Ostapenko to reach Wuhan final

Sonay Kartal won two tiebreaks to beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(9), 7-6(5) in the Wuhan Open semifinals Saturday, October 17. The victory puts the British player into her first WTA 1000 final, where she will face Maja Chwalinska on Sunday.

Ranked No. 170, Kartal is playing just her second tournament since returning from a six-month injury absence. She has won seven of eight tour-level matches since her comeback and has beaten five opponents ranked inside the top 50 this week.

Her route to the final included straight-sets wins against Belinda Bencic and Jasmine Paolini, followed by a three-set quarterfinal victory over Elina Svitolina. Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, was the latest opponent Kartal overcame to extend that run.

Kartal is seeking her second tour-level singles title after winning in Monastir in 2024. Chwalinska is pursuing her first, having beaten Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in Saturday’s other semifinal.

Neither finalist has won a WTA 1000 title. For the first time since Wuhan’s launch in 2014, two players ranked outside the top 20 will meet for the title.