Andreeva Eliminated: Russian Defeated by Kartal in Beijing Round of 16

The 18-year-old player fell after a suspenseful match against an excellent Sonay Kartal.

Mirra Andreeva had high ambitions at the Beijing WTA 1000. The Russian, seeded number 4, was the favorite in her match of the day against Sonay Kartal. However, the world number 81 arrived with confidence, having secured straight-set victories against Alycia Parks, Daria Kasatkina, and Maya Joint.

Moreover, this was the first encounter between the two players on the main tour. The first set was very tight and intense. For a long time, the servers dominated, and it was only on the last game of the set that Kartal, seizing her opportunity, converted one of her only two break points to take the lead in 50 minutes.

In the second set, the winner of this season's WTA 1000 tournaments in Dubai and Indian Wells responded in the best way, quickly pulling away to level the match at one set all.

However, the third set was a carbon copy of the first. Both players dominant on their serves, the Russian and the Brit seemed headed for a logical tiebreak, but Kartal knew how to seize her chance and finish the match with a final break, allowing her to win (7-5, 2-6, 7-5 in 2h25) and qualify for the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 for the first time in her career.

In her bid to reach the semifinals, Kartal will face Linda Noskova. The Czech player was the first to qualify on Wednesday in the women's draw with a straight-set victory over Anastasia Potapova (6-2, 6-4). Earlier this year in Rome, Noskova had defeated her future opponent in straight sets in the second round.