AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Top-seeded Eina Svitolina produced another gritty performance Friday to beat Sonay Kartal in three sets and to reach the semifinals of the WTA Tour stop in Auckland.
Svitolina, ranked 13, trailed 5-3 in the third set before rallying to beat Kartal, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).
Kartal had the upper hand for most of the match but Svitolina produced another superb defensive performance to stay in the match and clinch victory on her second match point.
“There’s still a lot of adrenaline after that last set and the tiebreaker, which is always very difficult and challenging,” said Svitolina, who was runner-up in Auckland in 2024. “All the credit to Sonay, she played incredible and I think she deserved even more than me to win today.”
