A week can be a long time in tennis, as British No 3 Sonay Kartal demonstrated by surging into the fourth round of Indian Wells.
Only last Tuesday, Kartal was in a state of gloom after losing a narrow battle with teenage prospect Clervie Ngounoue in the final round of qualifying.
But a late spot in the main draw opened up when Sloane Stephens withdrew with a foot injury. A so-called “lucky loser” had to be promoted from qualifying, and the organisers drew Kartal’s name out of the hat.
How well she has capitalised on her second chance, reeling off three wins to reach the last 16 and demonstrate that she can mix it with the game’s elite.
Having started the tournament at No 83 in the world, Kartal will probably climb 20 places on the back of this run.
Whatever happens in her next match, she has already drawn to within 14 ranking points of Emma Raducanu, a regular rival on the British junior circuit, who now stands at No 55. For context, you earn 15 points for a first-round win at one of the smaller WTA events.
Statistically, Kartal’s best win of the week came against world No 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round. On ranking, that was the most distinguished scalp of her entire career, although Haddad Maia looked out of sorts during a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing that lasted only 68 minutes.
Monday’s third-round meeting with Polina Kudermetova provided a stiffer test, especially when Kudermetova started with a fusillade of thumping forehand haymakers. The Russian blasted 17 clean winners off that wing in the opening set, and should have claimed it when she led 5-4, 40-0 on her own serve. But then everything changed.
When Kartal made an excellent backhand return on the first of those three set points, forcing an error from Kudermetova, it did not immediately feel like a turning point. But it instilled an iota of doubt in her opponent’s mind, and thus proved to be the first pebble in a dramatic landslide.
Imperious until this moment, Kudermetova collapsed mentally, serving double-faults and skewing her groundstrokes wildly out of court. Her body language also became petulant and mopey as she turned to her coach after every error with her hands outstretched.
A nuggety player who makes you work hard for every point, Kartal maintained an excellent poker face. Inside, though, she must have been delighted to see her opponent unravelling so comprehensively. She went on a roll of six straight games, and then served out her 7-5, 6-3 win with enormous composure.
Kartal clearly feels all the more comfortable because of her unconventional route into this tournament. “It does take off that pressure,” she told Sky Sports after her second-round win. “It’s nice to almost get a second chance. It’s my first time as a lucky loser as well. I actually moved hotels. I booked it [the first hotel] to just see me through qualies.”
Earlier, Britain’s top male player Jack Draper had also reached the fourth round with a straight-sets win. His victim was Jenson Brooksby, the American who was banned for much of last season for missing doping tests, and who bravely revealed his autism diagnosis in December.
Despite slipping to a 4-1 deficit in the opening set, Draper remained calm, drawing confidence from his greater firepower. On serve, this was a mismatch, with Draper sending down thunderbolts while Brooksby barely threatened the speed limit on a Californian freeway. But the home player still made life awkward with his agility around the court and consistency off the ground.
“Today it wasn’t my cleanest tennis,” said Draper afterwards. “But I know that I’ve got the ability to problem-solve. And also, no matter how uncomfortable I’m feeling, I know they’re going to be feeling uncomfortable too. Not perfect tennis, but just a good challenge all around.”
