Womens Tennis

First-time finalists Sramkova and Kartal to face off for Monastir title

First-time finalists Sramkova and Kartal to face off for Monastir title

A brand new Hologic WTA Tour singles champion is guaranteed at the WTA 250 Jasmin Open in Monastir, Tunisia. Two first-time WTA finalists, Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia and British qualifier Sonay Kartal, will square off for the title on Sunday.

Monastir: Scores | Order of Play | Draws

World No.136 Sramkova clinched a spot in her first tour final by ousting the last remaining seeded player, No.7 seed Lucia Bronzetti of Italy, 6-3, 6-4. Sramkova, who was contesting her first WTA semifinal, powered to victory in 1 hour and 31 minutes of play.

“I had really good touch on the ball today,” Sramkova said after her win on a blustery Saturday. “OK, a few mistakes, but it’s windy, so it’s fine.”

Sramkova was 5-for-8 on break points in the showdown, and she successfully battled back from an early break down in the second set. The Slovak had 29 winners to Bronzetti’s 13.

The 27-year-old Sramkova continues to post new achievements in 2024. Earlier this year, she reached the Round of 16 at WTA 1000 Rome, and made her Top 100 debut after that week. She also made her Wimbledon main-draw debut this year.

World No.151 Kartal advanced to her first WTA final when her opponent, Eva Lys of Germany, retired from their semifinal showdown due to illness. Kartal was leading 5-1 in the opening set when Lys stopped the match.

“Obviously no one wants to win a match like that, she’s a super nice girl which makes it even tougher,” Kartal said afterwards. “I’m happy to be in the final, but it’s not the way I would have liked to win today.”

The 22-year-old Kartal has risen over 100 spots in the rankings over the last 12 months, bolstered by a third-round performance at her home Grand Slam, Wimbledon, as a qualifier. She was the first British qualifier into the Wimbledon third round since 1997.

Kartal had never been to a WTA quarterfinal before this week, but after losing her first set of the main draw, she has not lost any others en route to her first final.

“I’m sure tomorrow we’ll both come out here, you know, shoulders are going to be a bit heavy, we’re both going to be a bit nervous,” Kartal said. “But ultimately it will be who can put on the best performance on the biggest stage.”

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Official Home of the Women's Tennis Association | WTA Tennis…