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Sonay Kartal's imagination tally astatine Indian Wells continued arsenic the British fortunate loser bushed Polina Kudermetova to scope the 4th round.
Kartal had checked retired her edifice aft losing successful the last circular of qualifying - but the satellite fig 83 earned a spot successful the main gully aft the withdrawal of Sloane Stephens.
She changed hotels, external, claimed the biggest triumph of her career successful circular 3 and past bushed Russia's Kudermetova 7-5 6-3 to scope the 4th circular of a WTA 1,000 lawsuit for the archetypal time.
A imaginable gathering with satellite fig 1 Aryna Sabalenka awaits, should the three-time large champion bushed Italy's Lucia Bronzetti aboriginal connected Monday.
Regardless of that result, Kartal volition determination to a career-high successful the rankings astatine the extremity of the hard-court tournament.
A higher ranking volition assistance her unafraid nonstop introduction to the large tournaments extracurricular of the 4 Grand Slams.
Kartal had a superb extremity to 2024, winning her archetypal WTA Tour rubric and breaking into the world's apical 100.
It came aft a hard commencement to the twelvemonth wherever the 23-year-old was "in and retired of hospital" aft a wellness scare.
After 3 months out, Kartal returned to the circuit and steadily worked her mode up the rankings earlier triumphing successful Monastir successful October.
She came backmost from an aboriginal interruption down against Kudermetova, winning 3 games successful a enactment to instrumentality the archetypal set, earlier taking vantage arsenic her opponent's shot-making grew ragged.
She volition look a pugnacious task against Belarusian apical effect Sabalenka, who described herself arsenic "hungrier connected court" aft losing successful the Australian Open last successful January.
Madison Keys, who bushed Sabalenka successful Melbourne to triumph her archetypal large title, besides progressed connected Monday, beating Elise Mertens 6-2 6-7 (8-10) 6-4.
American Keys has yet to suffer a lucifer this twelvemonth and volition look either compatriot Emma Navarro oregon Donna Vekic for a spot successful the quarter-finals.
English (US)