Kartal beats Ostapenko to reach Wuhan final

Sonay Kartal defeated Jelena Ostapenko in two tiebreak sets on Saturday to reach the Wuhan Open final, marking the biggest final of the British player’s career and her first at a WTA 1000 tournament. Kartal won 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-5), recovering from deficits in both sets and saving all six set points she faced, according to match reports. The 24-year-old advanced after a demanding semifinal against the former French Open champion, who hit 50 winners but did not take a set. The victory makes Kartal the lowest-ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final since the format began in 2009. She entered the tournament ranked No. 170 after missing six months with a back injury, described in reports as a stress fracture. Wuhan is only her second or third tournament since returning, depending on the account’s definition of her comeback schedule. Kartal said afterward that it was one of the toughest matches she had played and praised her mental performance. She also said she had dreamed of playing the match before her injury and described reaching the final as a major milestone. Her run in Wuhan has included wins over several highly ranked or accomplished opponents, including Belinda Bencic,...