'She made me play my best tennis today' - Sonay Kartal on her upset victory over Mirra Andreeva at the China Open

One of the biggest upsets of the 2025 WTA season took place on Wednesday at the China Open, where unseeded British player Sonay Kartal defeated World No.5 Mirra Andreeva in dramatic fashion to secure her spot in the quarterfinals.

Kartal had battled past Alycia Parks, Daria Kasatkina and Maya Joint en route to the fourth round. The 23-year old rode that momentum into her clash with the fourth-seeded Andreeva, whom most expected to prevail.

However, it was the Brit who stunned fans by taking a close opening set. Andreeva would battle back, dropping just two games in the second set to force a decider.

It was during the third set that Kartal's poise and maturity was on full display. The London native kept pace with her Russian opponent, remaining cool as Andreeva served at 5-6 to extend the match to a tiebreak. However, the Indian Wells champion faltered, sending a forehand long on match point and handing Kartal a ticket to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal behind a 7-5 2-6 7-5 victory.

Kartal credits her mindset for coming through with the win

Following the match, the World No.81 had high praise for Andreeva. Additionally, she admitted to playing at a high level on Wednesday, stating her levelheadedness helped her prevail.

"I did say it was going to be far from easy - she's a top 10 player for a very good reason,” Kartal said in her on-court interview. “She made me play my best tennis today so credit to her for making me bring that level. I’m super happy with the level I managed to stick out at the end.
"The way I carry myself on the court is one of my biggest assets. If you can look down the other end from me you wouldn’t know whether I’m winning or losing. I tried to put that second set behind me, she played some great tennis so I tried to level it out in the third set and keep the scoreboard pressure as tight as I could."

Kartal next faces Czech star Linda Noskova on Thursday for a place in the semifinal.