Sonay Kartal took Wimbledon by storm as the last British player standing in the women’s singles, after Emma Raducanu’s exit. The Brighton native calmly went about her business in the first week, defeating the world No 21, Jelena Ostapenko, in the first round before dominant straight-set wins against Viktoriya Tomova and Diane Parry to reach the fourth round at a grand slam for the first time.
But the fairytale run came to a halt as the unseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s greater experience told, the 34-year-old winning 7-6 (3), 6-4 to return to the Wimbledon quarter-finals after nine years.
“Obviously I’m finished here,” said Kartal. “For the rest of the day I’ll be a bit sad. But tomorrow I’ll wake up, and look back on this week and be super proud. I can step back and think: ‘Fourth round of a slam.’
“Hopefully I have inspired some people. It’s not easy coming out on Centre Court as a Brit.”
It was a match not without its controversies, with the electronic line-calling system failing at a crucial point for the Russian in the first set, an embarrassing moment for Wimbledon, which has received pushback for getting rid of line judges.
Pavlyuchenkova made it to the last eight here in 2016, losing to the eventual winner, Serena Williams. “I always thought grass was very tricky for me,” said the Russian. “I’ve played a really good match today, considering this was Centre Court – my first time in many years – and facing such a tough opponent. She didn’t give me any free points.”
Her compact swings helped her hold to love in the opening service game and she followed it up with a break, forcing Kartal on the run for a second break point. Pavlyuchenkova responded to a lob with some great skill, stretching out and flicking her high backhand on the baseline.
Three unforced errors by Pavlyuchenkova made it 0-40 on her serve and led to Kartal breaking back after the Russian mistimed a drop shot. Another hold and a break put her ahead.
The frustration began to build for the Russian as her unforced errors racked up to 12 but she managed a forehand down the line to take it to deuce. She then earned the break by forcing Kartal to scurry across the baseline before finishing the point with a drop-shot winner, leaving the Briton staring in disbelief.
The pair then each survived a nervy service game to make it 4-4 before a loud “stop, stop” from the line-calling system halted play. The chair umpire, Nico Helwerth, confirmed the system did not call a shot from Kartal that was clearly long, when Pavlyuchenkova had game point.
After a call from the line-system team, Helwerth said the system was “unable to track the last point so we will replay the point”, a disappointing decision given the Russian had technically won the game. It was particularly stinging after Pavlyuchenkova’s forehand volley into the net gave Kartal a 5-4 lead on the replay. At the change of ends she told Helwerth he “stole the game from her”.
“I just thought the chair umpire could take initiative,” said Pavlyuchenkova. “That’s why he’s sitting on the chair. He saw it go out; he told me after the match … I don’t know if it’s because she’s local.
“[Wimbledon] did explain it to me [afterwards]. They said the system was down. I understand, but it’s a big match. We should probably look into something else to have better decisions.”
The Russian, feeling hard done by, put her emotions to one side, breaking Kartal with a firm forehand into the corner after the Briton squandered set point. Pavlyuchenkova then held to 15 before Kartal took it to a tie-break with a swift ace. A blasting forehand and an overhead smash later and the set was Pavlyuchenkova’s.
Kartal lost serve in the opening game of the second set after Pavlyuchenkova dragged the Briton to the net with a drop shot before finishing with a lob. Kartal broke back and, much to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, the Briton needed only 60 seconds in a perfect service game to hold to love.
Pavlyuchenkova roared in celebration after her own hold with her hard hitting. The Russian then sealed another break, the ninth of the match, after the 23-year-old dragged the break point long. Her good passage of play continued with two strong forehands to go 40-0 on her serve as Kartal tried – unsuccessfully – to out-hit her. Kartal did not allow herself to fall away in a must-win game though, with some strong first serves.
With seven return winners to Kartal’s none, Pavlyuchenkova continued to hit looping forehands and clinched victory with a strong first serve and a winner down the line.
Despite the end of her Wimbledon run, Kartal said she would be ready “for the American swing” after a couple weeks off. “I think this week I’ve proved to myself I can go deep into slams. I can beat some of the best players on tour. I’m going to go away with a lot of motivation.”
