Brighton’s Sonay Kartal beats world No.5 Mirra Andreeva to seal her first WTA 1000 quarter-final

Brighton tennis player Sonay Kartal has pulled off the biggest win of her career, defeating world No.5 Mirra Andreeva to book her place in the quarter-finals of the China Open in Beijing.

The 23-year-old, ranked 81 in women’s singles, produced a gritty and composed display to edge past the Russian teenager 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 in a pulsating encounter. The result marks Kartal’s first victory over a top-10 opponent and her maiden appearance in the last eight of a WTA 1000 tournament.

The victory also positions her to leapfrog Katie Boulter as Britain’s new women’s No.2.

Kartal’s nerves of steel proved decisive in a match filled with long rallies and momentum swings. She stayed focused as Andreeva, just 18, clawed her way back after losing the opening set. With the match finely poised in the decider, Kartal held her ground and pounced at 5-6 when Andreeva crumbled under pressure, misfiring a forehand to hand the Brighton player a career-defining win on her second match point.

Speaking afterwards, Kartal admitted she had to dig deep. “She’s a top-10 player for a very good reason,” she told the crowd. “She made me play my best tennis today. I’m super happy with the level I managed to dig it out in the end.”

She credited her composure as a crucial asset, adding: “I think the way I carry myself on the court is one of my biggest strengths. You could look down the other end at me and you wouldn’t really know if I’m winning or losing. I just tried to put that second set behind me and keep the scoreboard pressure as high as I could.”

The result highlights a breakthrough season for Kartal, who has steadily climbed the rankings after training at the Pavilion and Avenue Tennis Club in Hove. Her progress has been fuelled by strong performances at lower-level tournaments, but this victory signals her arrival on the sport’s bigger stages.

Andreeva, meanwhile, looked in control for much of the second set, striking confidently from the baseline and exploiting Kartal’s nerves. Yet, when the decider reached its tense conclusion, the Russian faltered. Her wide forehand at match point was a sign of the pressure she felt as Kartal’s relentless consistency forced error after error.

Kartal will next face Czech 26th seed Linda Noskova, aged 20, in Friday’s quarter-final. Noskova has been in strong form herself and will provide another stern test for the Briton, but Kartal will take huge confidence from her Beijing run.

Her victory comes as part of a wider surge for British women’s tennis, with multiple players pushing up the rankings in recent months. For Kartal, however, this win is more than just numbers — it is validation of her resilience after early career struggles with illness and injury.

As she looks ahead to her clash with Noskova, the Brighton star will carry the momentum of her first top-10 scalp and the belief that she can mix it with the very best.

For now, though, she has etched her name into the headlines with a triumph that could reshape the trajectory of her career.