Sonay Kartal ends six-month injury absence from WTA Tour with win in China

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Sonay Kartal made a successful return to the WTA Tour following a six-month injury absence as she defeated Spain’s Andrea Lazaro Garcia in straight sets at the China Open.

Kartal’s long absence has been due to a back injury she sustained at Indian Wells back in March and she made her tennis return in the Billie Jean King Cup last week following her recovery.

The China Open is her first tournament back on the tour and she impressed with a 6-2 6-3 victory against the qualifier. Kartal landed 69% of her first serves and broke Garcia’s serve five times across the two sets in a display which will build confidence ahead of her next match against China’s Wang Xinyu.

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.

But, in the men’s draw British number one Arthur Fery has been 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.

Fery was originally scheduled to open the tournament against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, but the world number 25 was a late withdrawal from the tournament due to a finger injury.

He was replaced by world number 68 Faria, who took a surprise early lead in Tokyo before Fery was able to settle and force a deciding third set.

However he was unable to break Faria’s serve in the final set as the Portuguese wrapped up the win in just over two hours.

British No 2 Cameron Norrie was also 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.

Additional reporting by PA