For about half an hour on No 1 Court, Sonay Kartal conjured up thoughts of a major upset as she went toe to toe with Coco Gauff, one of the favourites for the women’s title. The first British qualifier to reach the third round here since 1997, Kartal was not fazed by the occasion or opponent, and recovered an early break for 4-4 before the second seed pulled away for a 6-4, 6-0 victory.
Ranked 298, the 22-year-old Kartal will now return to the world’s top 200 at a career-high 189, reward for qualifying and then beating seasoned players in Sorana Cirstea and Clara Burel. The No 2 seed proved a bridge too far, but the progress is encouraging.
