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Sonay Kartal took Wimbledon by storm as the last – after Emma Raducanu’s exit – British player standing in the women’s singles. 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 for the first time in nine years.
It was a match not without its controversies, with the electronic line-calling system failing at a crucial moment for the Russian in the first set, an embarrassing moment for Wimbledon, which has received pushback for getting rid of line judges.
Kartal walked out calmly to roaring applause and a clap of thunder, much to the surprise of the packed supporters inside. It certainly added to the drama, with Kartal making her debut on Centre Court. The British No 3 was sporting a new strapping on her right knee.
Pavlyuchenkova made it to the quarter-finals here in 2016, losing to the eventual winner Serena Williams on Centre Court. The Russian also reached the final at Roland Garros in 2021. 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 the Briton’s 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 patient play by Kartal, with the Russian’s drop shot mistimed, led to her breaking back. Another hold and a break put her ahead for the first time, with the Briton showing great hustle to return a drop shot with a flick down the line.
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, with her hands on her hips.
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 confirmed the system did not call a shot from Kartal that was clearly long. After a call from the line-system team, the umpire said the system was “unable to track the last point so we will replay the point”, a disappointing decision given the Russian had technically already won the game. It was particularly stinging after Pavlyuchenkova’s forehand volley into the net gave Kartal a 5-4 lead. At the change of ends she told the umpire he “stole the game from her”.
The Russian, clearly feeling hard done by, managed to put her emotions to the side, breaking Kartal with a firm forehand into the corner after the Briton squandered set point with a long forehand. Pavlyuchenkova then held to 15 with relative ease before Kartal took it to a tie-break with a swift ace. A blasting forehand and an overhead smash later and, after 77 minutes, 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 after a string of errors from the Russian that ended with a netted drop shot 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 and consolidate the break back.
The two players continued to match each other, with Pavlyuchenkova roaring after her own hold, her hard hitting forcing Kartal to net a forehand. The Russian then sealed another break, the ninth of the match, after the 23-year-old Briton dragged the break point long.
The good passage of play continued for the 34-year-old with two strong forehands to go 40-0 on her serve as Kartal tried – unsuccessfully – to outhit her opponent. Despite a clever sliced backhand to get on the board, the Briton’s long forehand made it 4-2 for her opponent.
Kartal did not allow herself to fall away in a must-win game with some strong first serves before a double fault but she did win it after Pavlyuchenkova netted a backhand.
The Russian’s movement continued to improve despite the longer rallies. She recovered from going 30-15 down and forced the Briton to serve to stay in the match. With seven return winners to Kartal’s none, Pavlyuchenkova continued to hit looping forehands to give herself time to recover but Kartal’s winner down the line kept her in it. It did not faze Pavlyuchenkova though, who clinched victory with a strong first serve and a forehand winner down the line.
