“At times in this match I was in discomfort with my back, so it’s a match like today which shows the fighter in me,” Kartal told BBC Sport after her win over Keys.<\/p>\n
“On these courts I do feel I can beat anyone on any given day.”<\/p>\n
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Kartal’s run to the fourth round at Indian Wells last year, her debut at a WTA 1,000 tournament, helped kick-start a breakthrough season for the 24-year-old, who reached a career-high ranking of 44 in 2025.<\/p>\n
With victory over 15th seed Keys, Kartal – now ranked 54th – becomes the first British woman to reach the fourth round at the California-based tournament twice.<\/p>\n
Kartal said she will prioritise recovery for her back before she meets Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, in the last 16.<\/p>\n
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“It [the back] was a pretty big hindrance,” Kartal added.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t really practise yesterday so I gave it as much recovery as I could, so I think now it’s about getting recovered and doing the same exact thing to get back on the court in the next couple of days.”<\/p>\n
Kartal was not the only player to cause an upset on Monday with a comeback win.<\/p>\n
Czech Katerina Siniakova, the world number 44, knocked out defending champion and Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva in a gruelling 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win that lasted two hours and 48 minutes.<\/p>\n
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Meanwhile, third seed Rybakina claimed her fourth-round spot with a hard-fought 6-4 6-4 victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.<\/p>\n
World number two Iga Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, overcame Greece’s Maria Sakkari, while American fifth seed Jessica Pegula fought back from a set down against Jelena Ostapenko to reach the last 16.<\/p>\n
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