'Inspiring' Brit Kartal swaps her sick bed for place in third round at SW19

SONAY KARTAL was today hailed as “an inspiration” after overcoming a health scare to become the first British ladies’ qualifier to reach the Wimbledon third round this century.

- Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The 22-year-old has been battling undisclosed health problems this year and in April, Kartal shared images of herself lying in a hospital bed posing for the camera with a thumbs up, saying, “Long story short I’m on the mend”.

Following her first round of success at Wimbledon, she said: “I had a scary few months at the start of the year. I said I won’t disclose what it was, but it was health-related. I didn’t think I would be back potentially at all this year.”

However, world No 298 Kartal beat 45th-ranked Clara Burel yesterday afternoon, becoming the first British ladies’ qualifier to reach the third round since 1997. She will now take home at least £143,000, and next faces a clash with number two seed Coco Gauff.

Amir Goshtai, a fellow member of Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club in Brighton where Kartal began playing at the age of six and still trains, said she is “an absolute inspiration”.