Kartal wins again as impressive comeback continues

Key points

• Sonay Kartal beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-0 to reach the Wuhan Open quarter-finals.
• Kartal has won five of seven matches since returning from a stress fracture in her back.
• Alexander Zverev defeated Alex de Minaur 6-4 6-4 to reach the Shanghai Masters semi-finals.

Britain's Sonay Kartal continued her comeback from a long-term injury by defeating former Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-0 to reach the Wuhan Open quarter-finals. Kartal, 24, missed more than six months with a stress fracture in her back but has now won five of her seven matches since returning.

The win over 15th seed Paolini followed a straight-set victory over ninth seed Belinda Bencic in the previous round. Kartal will face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Kartal's recovery and form

Kartal was forced to retire with a back injury during the early part of the season, after breaking into the world's top 50 and reaching two WTA quarter-finals. She missed Wimbledon, where she had reached the fourth round in 2025, but chose not to rush her return.

Since coming back, she has not dropped a set in wins over Anhelina Kalinina, Bencic and Paolini. She is using a protected injury ranking to compete in Wuhan.

Against someone as good as Jasmine is, I knew I had to be solid from the start and not let up

— Sonay Kartal

What Kartal said

Kartal said she knew she had to be solid from the start against a player as good as Paolini. "From my side, it was a pretty flawless performance," she said.

She also said her level at the BJK Cup was higher than she expected and that she is growing in confidence with every match.

Zverev advances in Shanghai

In the Shanghai Masters, Alexander Zverev beat Australia's world number nine Alex de Minaur 6-4 6-4 to reach the semi-finals. Zverev is now assured of finishing the season as the year-end ATP number one and will play Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina next.