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\u201cThe way I carry myself on the court is one of my biggest assets,\u201d said Kartal, the Brighton girl who is beginning to step out of the shadow of her contemporary and childhood rival Emma Raducanu. \u201cWhen you look down the other end at me you wouldn\u2019t know whether I\u2019m winning or losing.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a match that took 2hr 25min, Kartal, the world No 60, kept her tennis as controlled as her expression. There were plenty of lengthy groundstroke rallies, in which she maintained superb length and weight of shot from the baseline. But the revelation here was how well she dealt with Andreeva\u2019s tricks and flourishes.<\/p>\n
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Kartal\u2019s facial expressions are difficult for her opponents to read – Reuters\/Maxim Shemetov<\/p>\n
A player of great dexterity, 18-year-old Andreeva likes to mix play up with slices and net approaches. On this occasion, though, she found that Kartal usually had the answer, whether it be through a scorching pass or the beautiful half-volley drop shot that she found as the match approached its climax. That one drew a broad smile from Jeremy Bates, the former British No 1 who is filling in at courtside in the absence of her regular coach Ben Reeves.<\/p>\n
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A couple of points later, Kartal wrong-footed Andreeva with a backhand up the line, and gave a little shy smile of her own. It was this sort of composure, in what was arguably the biggest match of her life, that had Sky Sports\u2019 experienced commentator Jonathan Overend exclaiming: \u201cI think she\u2019s the coolest athlete I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite dropping the second set, Kartal had the benefit of serving first in the third, and she made the most of that advantage by scoring six successive holds. This was no easy task, as she faced several anxious 30-30 situations and one break point for Andreeva.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a top-10 player for a reason and she made me play my best tennis today,\u201d said Kartal in her on-court interview. \u201cI tried to put the second set behind me because she played some great tennis, I just tried to keep the scoreboard pressure as much as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Kartal has been racking up the wins over top-50 opponents – AP\/Andy Wong<\/p>\n
When Andreeva saved a first match point with a silky low volley, one wondered for a moment if Kartal might suffer a similar fate to Raducanu, who was unable to convert three such opportunities at the same event on Sunday. But Kartal responded with a magnificent rally in which she worked Andreeva side to side before coming forward to lash a forehand winner into the corner. Her second match point was converted when Andreeva missed wide.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my first time in China,\u201d said Kartal after her win, \u201cso I\u2019ve got incredible memories already. The atmosphere today was unbelievable. It was a privilege to be able to play in front of this crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n
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This was a valuable victory. First, in terms of the roughly \u00a312,000 that it added to Kartal\u2019s prize money, but more importantly with regard to the eight places it will lift her on the rankings ladder.<\/p>\n
She had suffered a significant dip in her ranking after the 250 points for last year\u2019s WTA title victory in Monastir dropped off her record last month, but she has already gained 215 in Beijing, with power to add.<\/p>\n
Kartal\u2019s last three victories have all come against top-50 opponents, and now she will face Linda Noskova, the world No 27, for a place in the semi-finals. It is another wonderful opportunity for a player who is blossoming on the world stage.<\/p>\n