This article features Stats Insider's prediction and tips for the Birrell vs Kartal match Based on advanced computer power and data, Stats Insider has simulated the outcome of Wednesday's Birrell-Kartal women's singles match 10,000 times Our independent predictive analytics model currently gives Kartal a 63% chance of beating Birrell at the WTA Italian Open tournament The current betting odds in Australia for Wednesday's WTA Italian Open match between Birrell and Kartal are shown here: Odds are correct at the time of publication and subject to change TAB currently has Birrell at $2.30 and Kartal at $1.61 TAB currently has odds for Birrell to win the first set at $2.20 and odds for Kartal to win the first set at $1.66 Our Kimberly Birrell vs Sonay Kartal best bets are based on detailed modelling and betting expertise to help you place smarter bets with your chosen online bookie While Kartal is more likely to win the first set on this occassion our suggested bet of Kartal ($1.83) is based on the chance of that happening Stats Insider provides full coverage of the Kimberly Birrell vs Sonay Kartal match at the WTA Italian Open tournament including data-driven predictions and the best betting tips so bookmark this article for the latest betting tips before the Birrell-Kartal match at the WTA Italian Open event As always, see our Best Bets to get betting tips for every tennis match as well as predictions for a wide range of other sports The 2025 WTA Italian Open match between Kimberly Birrell and Sonay Kartal is scheduled to commence at 12:20am AEST All dates and times mentioned in this article are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) Our Kimberly Birrell vs Sonay Kartal predictions have been made thanks to 10,000 data-driven simulations of the game, all curated by our team of experienced data scientists and analysts. We use cutting-edge technology and machine learning to ensure our tennis tips are trustworthy and reliable so that you can make informed decisions with confidence If you choose to use our predictions for betting purposes, it's vital that you gamble responsibly and know when to stop. For free and confidential support, call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au Stats Insider is your go-to source for betting on tennis in Australia, with the latest tennis betting news, tips for every tennis tournament, and our in-house approach to accurately ranking the world's top 100 men's and women's players. © 2015-2025 Hypometer Technologies Pty Ltd (ABN 78 609 507 744). Proudly part of Cipher Sports Technology Group, Level 7, 51 Langridge Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Her three main draw wins, too, have been in straight sets. Kartal’s ranking is all set to climb from its current No. 83 to a new career high of 63 even if she loses to Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round on Wednesday The 23-year-old began last year ranked 250th but bagging a maiden title in Tunisia and making the third round at her home major of Wimbledon — both as a qualifier — before losing to Coco Gauff helped to change her fortunes And all this after suffering an undisclosed health scare BNPParibasOpen.com caught up with Kartal, who beat the free swinging Polina Kudermetova 7-5 40-0 on Kudermetova’s serve in the first set “I’d say they were probably the biggest points of the match I went into the match knowing with her game style that she’s going to hit a mountain of winners against me and I think I just had to make sure that I held my serve I just tried to keep the scoreboard pressure on the whole time throughout the match and get every ball in play and always make her ask that extra question I think it’s not so common that a player can go through a whole match playing lights out tennis so I just tried to keep the scoreboard pressure on her and not let her (run) away with it.” “I’ve always been super chilled out on the court I’d also say it’s one of my biggest assets So it is something that I actively work on but I’m pretty fortunate that for the majority of the time What were the days like for you after you lost in qualifying When did you find out you gotin as a lucky loser I didn’t really have too much time to be disappointed A lot of players say it takes off the pressure there’s the pressure you put on yourself but you do kind of feel like it’s a second chance You beat 16th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round for the biggest ranking win of your career I lost to Coco at Wimbledon and learned a lot from that match I learned that I don’t have to kind of overplay and overcomplicate things on the court So I definitely used what I learned in that match against Beatriz and didn’t overplay And I’d say that one is probably the biggest match I won I think it gives you confidence when you play against those higher ranked players.” How much are you looking forward to that one every player wants to test their games against the best in the world And I think that after having the match against Coco and the match against Beatriz it’s definitely going to help a lot more for me It’s a match that I’m going to be excited about it’s going to be a match that I’m going to learn a lot from.” This is your first time in Tennis Paradise A lot of the other Brits back at home before I left were all saying that they thought I was going to really love it here and they thought my game style was going to do really on these courts and these conditions For me the courts and conditions have a lot of similarity to being at home where I grew up playing — slow It’s almost identical to what I grew up on for years so I’m definitely feeling super comfortable on these courts It’s definitely an incredible tournament to be part of How many do you have and what do they represent There are a couple that are a bit random and were chosen last minute I wouldn’t say loads have significant meaning That’s ‘Kartal’ in Turkish and I’m half Turkish I’m definitely going to add a few more at some point Just haven’t gotten around to doing that yet.” If you could have any three people over for dinner Growing up she was my favorite tennis player Download the official BNP Paribas Open Mobile App to manage your tickets and follow your favorite players Down a set and a break against a cunning opponent the British No 1 had been junkballed into oblivion and defeat drew near Her recent difficult form and her lack of confidence in the surface beneath her feet was plain for ll to see From that uncomfortable position, Boulter showed her mental fortitude in full as she emerged with a strong 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Tatjana Maria to clinch a 2-1 win for Great Britain over Germany in their opening tie of the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers in the Hague. 6-2 win over the world No 120 Jule Niemeier on her BJK Cup debut 6-1 win for Laura Siegemund and Anna-Lena Friedsam over Harriet Dart and Olivia Nicholls in the doubles rubber Great Britain will now face the Netherlands on Saturday in a match that will determine the group winner and participant in the BJK Cup Finals The Netherlands defeated Germany 3-0 on Thursday The BJK Cup remains an event in flux after the ITF opted to align the tournament with the Davis Cup by reducing the number of teams in its Finals tournament from 12 to eight the finalists will be decided in this clunky three-team group stage before reverting to traditional home and away ties next year Despite an unsurprisingly sparse turnout at the indoor clay courts in Sportcampus Zuiderpark for the neutral tie of the week both sets of travelling fans created a solid atmosphere The tie began with a significant breakthrough moment for the fast-improving Kartal over the past year the 23-year-old has won her first career WTA title and has established herself as a top 100 player She further fortified her position among the elite last month by reaching the fourth round in Indian Wells and rising to a new career high of No 60 Sonay Kartal chases down the ball during her victory over Jule Niemeier Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images for LTAIn a sport filled with tall at 5ft 4in Kartal is a diminutive competitor but she ground down an increasingly erratic Niemeier with her consistency Kartal also smartly chose her moments to force herself inside the baseline and impose herself with a heavy forehand Kartal closed out her first BJK Cup victory “I’m so proud to get a debut like that,” said Kartal “In terms of how up there it is in my career it’s probably my second biggest achievement [after winning her first match at Wimbledon] it’s one that I’ve wanted to get ticked off for a long time.” There were ample questions surrounding Boulter who is still finding her form after a foot injury in February and has a tough record on clay Free weekly newsletterThe best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s action She faced a particularly tricky match-up against Maria a tour veteran at 37 years old and a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2022 who is well known for her ability to frustrate with her unorthodox style the world No 81 made life difficult for Boulter by peppering her with an endless stream of forehand and backhand slices and defending astutely Forced to generate her own pace on every last shot Boulter was continually baited into overhitting and her unforced error count rose Boulter dug deep and she impressively found her way by closing down the net earlier and making some key volleys before ending the match with a supreme exhibition of shotmaking “I pride myself on being a fighter and knowing that I can get myself out of those moments,” said Boulter There’s not many times I can count in this competition that I felt like I’ve lost a match convincingly.” Sonay Kartal’s two wins helped move Great Britain through the Billie Jean Kng Cup finals and carres that momentum into her Rouen debut Kartal edges Gracheva in break points converted and saved but Gracheva has been successful here before as a former semi-finalist Kartal has continued to build on her success last year and was impressive for Great Britain but while her clay record is quite favourable She will have gained a lot of confidence with her two wins at the weekend Gracheva’s focus has gotten her out of tight situations and most recently took Harriet Dart to three sets in Charleston and has strong records on clay This could be a tight one – with the edge going to the slightly higher ranked Kartal Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" document.getElementById('newsnowlogo').onclick=function(){ window.open('http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport','newsnow'); }; document.getElementById('newsnowlogo').style.cursor='pointer'; document.getElementById('newsnowlogo_a').style.textDecoration='none'; document.getElementById('newsnowlogo_a').style.borderBottom='0 none'; kofiwidget2.init('Support Britwatch on Ko-fi' amzn_assoc_ad_type ="responsive_search_widget"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id ="httpwwwbritwa-21"; amzn_assoc_marketplace ="amazon"; amzn_assoc_region ="GB"; amzn_assoc_placement =""; amzn_assoc_search_type = "search_widget";amzn_assoc_width ="auto"; amzn_assoc_height ="auto"; amzn_assoc_default_search_category =""; amzn_assoc_default_search_key ="";amzn_assoc_theme ="dark"; amzn_assoc_bg_color ="000000"; Sonay Kartal is the flaxen haired pocket rocket who is flourishing in the Californian desert after moving seamlessly from ‘lucky loser’ to ‘the last 16’. The 5ft 4in dynamo is on the run of her life at Indian Wells, generally considered to be the unofficial fifth grand-slam (dubbed ‘tennis paradise’), after cruising past the world No 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia, and into the fourth round. Such success brings her to the practical coattails of her former junior rival: Emma Raducanu. It is an ascent which has been compared to the parable of the hare and the tortoise as Kartal, 23, looks to make her career-best debut inside the world’s top 60 (Raducanu, 22, is currently ranked No 55). New York native Emma Navarro has been named the ‘Most Improved Player’ at the WTA awards, just days after she beat Jessica Pegula in a battle of the billionaires at the Garden Cup. In this July 2024 feature, Tatler looks back on a stunning season for the American phenom, who proves nothing pays off more than hard work Sonay Kartal of Great Britain takes the trophy at the WTA 250 Jasmin Open Tunisia Great Britain gals: Anne Keothavong, Sonay Kartal, Harriet Dart, Emma Raducanu and Katie Swan of Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup in Prague Kartal is a bright star on its ascent: in September last year, she claimed her first WTA title at the Jasmin Open in Tunisia. Thus, edging into the top 100 for the first time as world No 96. A meteoric 202 place improvement from her World No 298 ranking back in July. This move meant that for the first time since 2012, there were four Brits in the top 100 (Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Emma Raducanu). Due to injury, Harriet Dart has now slipped out of the top 100. With Rafael Nadal’s retirement, the absolute dominance of the ‘Big Four’ has officially dissipated. A new generation takes control Canine lover: Sonay Kartal posted a tribute to her late dog Chester Those in the know about tennis, know about Morgan Riddle. Riddle and boyfriend Taylor Fritz, the US No 1, are the fashion-forward, head-turning, pap-stealing new Posh ‘n’ Becks of the game. Next up? New York Fashion Week. Then? World domination. Deputy features editor Annabel Sampson tries to keep up At Tunisia – comparable to Raducanu at the US Open – qualifier Kartal, dug-deep and cruised through to the finals where she ultimately won the crown. ‘It’s unbelievable,’ Kartal said. ‘I’ve played some of my best tennis and had some of my best wins. I feel like in each match I’ve grown and got better.’ It’s all the more impressive, when you see that in April last year, she was hospital bound, posting on Instagram: ‘Long story short, I’m on the mend.’ Kartal, who was born in London, is of Turkish descent through her father; she began playing tennis at the age of six, inspired by her brother. These days, home is Brighton and she trains at Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club. She’s a canine-lover, previously posting a tribute to her dog Chester who died in 2024. Raducanu and Kartal have a friendship that goes way back. When Raducanu won the US Open, a video emerged of her rallying as a nine-year-old. At the other end of the net was Kartal. ‘Insane rally!’ they hollered to one another. Raducanu’s triumph at Flushing Meadows in 2021 gave Kartal a kick of motivation. Now, injury-free, she’s really hitting her stride. Vamos! INDIAN WELLS -- Sonay Kartal walked off the court here a week ago a three-set loser to Clervie Ngounoue in the final round of qualifying the 23-year-old from Great Britain wasn’t feeling particularly lucky I was super disappointed,” Kartal said Monday “But that’s one of the things about being so close to getting directly into the main draw I knew I had a shot at being a lucky loser.” And when Sloane Stephens (foot injury) withdrew from the BNP Paribas Open’s main draw Kartal suddenly found new life -- her first time as a lucky loser the lowest-ranked woman left in the tournament will meet World No A few hours before Sabalenka predictably advanced with a 6-1 Kartal continued the most surprising run at Indian Wells 6-3 winner over Polina Kudermetova and has already guaranteed herself a six-figure payday When Kudermetova came out flashing groundstrokes With confidence born of her recent experiences right and center the entire match,” Kartal told wtatennis.com “It was just something I had already accepted and for me the most important thing was to hold serve and keep the scoreboard pressure on her.” Kartal’s opening-round match against Varvara Lepchenko began with a first-set tiebreak No one was prepared for what went down in the second round -- a stunningly one-sided 6-2 In a tournament of some significant precedents it was her first career win over a Top 20 player This isn’t the first time Kartal has come out of thin air She won three qualifying matches last year at Wimbledon Kartal lost in the third round to World No but that experience on the All England Club’s sprawling Court No “I learned so much from that match against Coco,” Kartal said “You go into it feeling like you have to bring your best game and that’s what I think I did in that match “I used that against Beatriz the other day I knew I didn’t have to overplay and that my level was there and I could come into it relaxed I’m going to go in with the same mindset.” It was her first Hologic WTA Tour-level title and Indian Wells is her first main draw in a WTA 1000 Kartal is comfortable in these breezy conditions She started playing tennis at the age of six at the outdoor Pavillion & Avenue Tennis Club by the sea in Brighton -- and trains there to this day She rates the win over Haddad Maia as the biggest of her career and Monday’s against Kudermetova next Kartal’s career was in jeopardy with a health scare that required hospitalization “I had no idea if I was going to play,” Kartal said “It was touch and go what was going to happen “They [the media] tried at Wimbledon,” she said Yet another win for Kartal in a year of unprecedented victories Come back closer to the match starting time for the WTA insider live blog Sonay Kartal's eye-catching run at Indian Wells was brought to an abrupt halt by Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday as the world No The Brit entered the main draw as a "lucky loser" but made it all the way to the fourth round in California, beating 16th-seed Beatriz Haddad Maia along the way it seemed as if Kartal could cause another stunning upset as she broke the three-time Grand Slam winner in the first game The early setback led to Sabalenka receiving a swift code violation as she was reprimanded for an audible obscenity Sonay Kartal was quickly on the back foot during her comprehensive defeat at the hands of Aryna Sabalenka. George Walker/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesBut Sabalenka quickly regrouped to blow Kartal away The Brit had no answer for the quality on show from her opponent across the court as Sabalenka won all six of the following games to take a set lead Sabalenka refused to let up in the second set forcing Kartal to sprint around the court in a vain attempt to withstand the barrage Kartal did show some improvement in taking two games off Sabalenka on serve but her defiance only delayed the inevitable as the tournament's top seed wrapped up victory in a little over an hour The hard-hitting Belarusian, who helped fix a small issue with the net in the first set, will face either Liudmila Samsonova or Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals 6-1 on Friday and will face either Kazakh Elena Rybakina or Bianca Andreescu in the next round Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the No 17 seed, won against Sonay Kartal 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round of the Madrid Open at the Caja Mágica will play the winner of the match between Kazakh Elena Rybakina In the previous round of the Madrid tournament Website#d01fa4ac089b519fe3d9f624{display:none} TEHRAN – Former Iran coach Engin Firat believes that Ismail Kartal is a strong choice to lead Persepolis and that he can be successful with the Iranian team The 63-year-old coach was appointed by Persepolis on Friday and traveled to Tehran on Saturday morning  Kartal has signed an 18-month contract with the club the highest total in a single season in the club's history although they fell short of winning the championship “Kartal has proven himself over many years in Turkey’s football and is a tactician who can withstand pressure which is as esteemed as Fenerbahçe in Turkey and he has previously demonstrated that he can perform under pressure,” the former head coach of Kenya told Tehran Times in an exclusive interview “I believe he is capable of helping Persepolis but the only challenge for him is that he will be working outside of Turkey for the first time I’m unsure about his English proficiency for communicating with the players “Working at Persepolis will undoubtedly be a valuable experience for Kartal As someone who has previously worked with the Iranian national team and local clubs It is a fantastic country,” the former Saipa coach added with five or six teams vying for the title each season we only had two teams competing for the championship last year Iran’s league is more competitive than the Turkish league,” he noted “Ismail Kartal will need to adapt to Iran’s league and culture I think the championship may be out of reach this season but he can build his team for the next season,” Firat concluded The 63-year-old trained took charge of the Iranian giants on an 18-month deal Kartal previously managed Fenerbahce in the 2014/15 and 2021/22 seasons and was assistant manager from 2010 to 2014 and a Turkish Super Cup with the Yellow Canaries He replaces Spanish coach Juan Carlos Garrido who left Persepolis in December following poor results Defending champions Persepolis sit fourth in the 2024/25 Iran’s Persian Gulf Professional League (PGPL) Persepolis are scheduled to face Tractor on Sunday in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium Sonay Kartal won against Jaqueline Cristian 6-2 She’ll face No 17 seed Elina Svitolina in the next round Sonay Kartal won against Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5 to move into the second round of the Madrid Open at the Caja Mágica on Wednesday evening Website#c889ed873b79d673eb185195{display:none} Three years on from her first call-up to the Lexus GB Billie Jean King Cup team for a qualifying tie against Czech Republic – British No.3 Sonay Kartal returns to the squad off the back of a breakout year on the WTA Tour After a run to the third round at Wimbledon, Kartal went on to finish 2024 with her first WTA title in Monastir and a Lexus Shrewsbury W100 trophy before this year reaching the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event at Indian Wells Now playing the best tennis of her life and at a career-high ranking at world No.61 Kartal is a different player to the one that joined the team in Prague back in 2022.  Before heading out to The Hague for GB’s Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers against Germany and Netherlands from 11-12 April, we sat down with Kartal to discuss her season so far, receiving the call-up to the squad and the possibility for a new tattoo after next week’s ties.  “I’m super proud (of her recent performances) – it’s happened very fast,” she said. “For so long I was doing things really well on the practice court and I was taking good care of things off the court, so it was trusting that it would come out on the match court.   “Each match I’m playing I feel like a different person. I’ve got more experience and a lot more belief in my game now.”  View this post on Instagram Instagram Post Kartal’s run at the BNP Paribas Indian Wells has been a standout story from the season so far and the young Brit continues to show that she has the skill to mix with and beat the best in the game.   The Brighton-native made the round of 16 at her first event at WTA 1000 level – a week that Kartal saw as a bit of a perfect storm.  “I absolutely loved it,” she said “Coming out to the event a lot of people were telling me ‘you’re going to suit it out there’ and that I’d love the courts and conditions I remember my first hit thinking they were so right.  “To get my first top 20 win pretty convincingly and just getting better and better each match Even when I played Aryna (Sabalenka) I was ready for that match mentally and I’ve come on miles in that aspect as well It’s looking more and more positive for me as each tournament goes on.  “I think it’s the trust I have in my game style (the biggest difference in her game) and I think I’m much better at taking those risks on the court It’s the constant pressure and things I’m able to deal with.”  Kartal will come in as the second highest ranked British singles player at the event and could well be called upon by Captain Anne Keothavong to help GB clinch a place in the Finals.  Kartal is yet to play a match for the Billie Jean King Cup team but is excited for what the upcoming event has in stall for her and the rest of the squad.  “I’m super excited to be back with the girls – I think it’s a really good team,” Kartal exclaimed “I always say team events are my favourite – I thrive in that environment and I’m excited to get going.  “Anne called during Indian Wells and said she wanted me to be part of the team and it was an easy yes.  “I’m just looking forward to being at a team event – supporting everyone the loud atmosphere and it’s just totally different to a normal tournament I’m excited to join up with the girls I think we’re all going to have a good time.  “I trust that Beech (Colin Beecher) is going to provide that (the fun and games) I did also buy a tabletop ping pong set as well so I’m going to get that set up and get a bit of a competition going on Should Kartal feature against either Germany or Netherlands, she will become the latest player to achieve LTA Colour Holder status.  LTA Colour Holders acknowledges, recognises and celebrates players, past and present, who have represented Great Britain in the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup and Wheelchair Tennis World Team Cup as well as at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.  Like a ‘cap’ that a player receives playing for their country in either football or rugby when a player has competed for Great Britain in tennis playing for your country,” she said “It’s not something I think people should take lightly I’ll be super proud and hopefully I can get that dream debut.  “I remember seeing Emma (Raducanu) get her Colours in Prague and I think that’s a super special moment for any player Fingers crossed I can get that.   “I would get that tattooed (her Colour Holder number) – I don’t know where but I definitely would!”  All the action from the Lexus GB team's matches will be available to watch on BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer and Tennis Channel You can also watch all other matches from the Group F Qualifiers in The Hague © Copyright 2025 LTA Operations Limited We use cookies to store information about how you use our website – such as the pages you visit – so we can ace your experience when you're browsing All information about the cookies we use and why we use them are in our Cookie Policy You can control which additional cookies we use in the settings below: which always need to be turned on to help our website function and enable you to use all of our features such as information about your browser type and version without collecting any personal data which relates to you These cookies allow our website to remember the choices you make (such as your username your preferred language or where you live) to give you a faster and more personalised experience when browsing This means we can show you more of the content we think you’d like to see Performance cookies are used to collect data about how you use our website so we can continue to improve it in the future these cookies track the pages you go to most often All data is gathered anonymously and is only used to benefit the functionality of the site We have several partners who may also set cookies on our behalf when you visit our website This allows them to deliver tailored LTA advertising within their domains We use cookies on our site to ACE your experience improve the quality of our site and show you content we think you’ll be interested in Let us know if you agree to cookies or if you’d prefer to manage your own settings Elina Svitolina at the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open: Live Stream TV ChannelData SkriveIn the Round of 64 at the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday Kartal heads into the Round of 64 after winning in two sets over Jaqueline Adina Cristian on Wednesday in the Round of 128 2025 was a two-set win over Olga Danilovic 6-4 7-6 in the final at the Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole Watch Tennis Channel on Fubo! Kartal vs. Svitolina futures oddsTennis odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:57 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. The British No 1 came back from 4-1 down in the first set to book his spot in the fourth round I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Jack Draper overcame a tricky encounter with unorthodox American player Jenson Brooksby to book his place in the fourth round at Indian Wells The British No 1 trailed 4-1 in the first set and threw a racquet in frustration when he failed to break serve at 4-2 but recovered his composure to ultimately win 7-5 Brooksby has slipped to 937th in the world after a shoulder injury and a lengthy ban for three missed doping tests but had been ranked as high as 33rd three years ago "Jenson is a very different kind of player and makes life uncomfortable for all the players on the tour," Draper said after the match "It was really difficult and I solved a bit of a puzzle out there." He was broken in his first service game by the American whose unusual gamestyle disrupted Draper’s rhythm and threw his racquet to the ground after missing a break-back point at 4-2 in the first set getting back on level terms and serving out the first set with an ace The 23-year-old held the upper hand in the second set breaking early and again holding steady to serve out the victory after an hour and 42 minutes I missed a couple of opportunities early on,” the Brit said “But I’m glad of the way I fought and competed Even though it wasn’t my best tennis today I’m really happy with the way I tried my best to stay cool.” It is the second time Draper has reached the fourth round at the Californian tournament and continues a strong early-season run, despite a hip injury which disrupted his off-season preparation and forced him to pull out of his Australian Open fourth-round match. Since then he has reached the final at the Qatar Open with his loss there only his second in 2025 so far He will play former champion and world No 4 Taylor Fritz next after the American beat Alejandro Tabilo in three sets Draper and world No 83 Sonay Kartal are the only remaining Brits in the tournament after Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter both lost in the third round who lost in the final round of qualifying but earned a main draw spot as a lucky loser continued a career-best run with a third-round victory over Polina Kudermetova She won 7-5, 6-3 to continue an impressive Indian Wells campaign, after beating world No 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia in her previous match. It is the first time Kartal - who had initially checked out of her accommodation after losing in qualifying - has reached the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event "I booked an apartment to see me through qualifying so I had to find somewhere else to stay last minute," she said The 23-year-old went down an early break but fought her way back into the match winning three consecutive games to take the first set and faced less opposition in the second as Kudermetova’s error count grew Her next opponent is the world No 1 and three-time grand slam champion Aryna Sabalenka, who cruised past Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-2. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Draws & Results Rankings Format About head coach of the Persepolis football team has expressed their determination to win the title by the end of the season Following a 2-1 victory over their archrivals Esteghlal in the Tehran derby on Thursday Persepolis have narrowed the gap with top teams Tractor and Sepahan at the 2024/25 Iran Persian Gulf Professional League who was appointed as Persepolis coach two months ago had previously stated that the team are focused on winning the title next season a comment that sparked frustration among fans “We have had a busy schedule over the past months and I need to spend more time with my team We want the championship this season and next and we’re working hard for it,” Kartal said at a press conference To build a strong team and develop players Persepolis lack good facilities compared to those of Foolad,” he added I want to win all possible trophies with Persepolis we’re not thinking about next season; we are focused on the current season to become champions I’ll have more time to spend with the players and discuss next season the training fields and stadiums are of much higher quality than in Iran There’s no significant difference between Turkey and Iran; both countries are similar I want to present the championship as a gift to the fans,” Kartal concluded Sonay Kartal’s stunning rise up the tennis rankings will reach new heights after she made it through to the third round for the first time at a WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells 6-1 win over world No 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia secured her the best rankings win of her career and should ensure she breaks into the top 70 of the WTA Rankings when they are updated after Indian Wells She is only playing in this tournament as a lucky loser after missing out in qualifying and then being offered a late chance to play due to the withdrawal of other players And her clinical win against the experienced Haddad Maia confirmed Kartal is playing a much higher level than her ranking suggests with these performances at Indian Wells a huge boost for a player who enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2024 Kartal had to deal with a serious health issue at the start of last year but she confirmed he battling qualities by winning a host of events on the ITF’s World Tennis Tour before enjoying a breakthrough run to the third round at Wimbledon She made a break into the top 100 of the WTA Rankings and have built on those foundations this year with this Indian Wells run another career highlight Supported by the LTA’s The Pro Scholarship Programme the elite programme for the game’s top young players in Britain she is backed the governing body of British tennis financially and in a variety of other areas with her rise up the rankings justifying the backing she has received Kartal makes up for the physical disadvantage she often faces against her opponents with a drive and passion She is not a player who likes to show her emotions and that was in evidence once again as she had a somewhat subdued reaction to her win against Haddad Maia Kartal grew up playing in junior events with Emma Raducanu and when she spoke to Tennis365 last year she looked back on her early matches against the player who went on to win the 2021 US Open title so it proves to me that the dream of making it in tennis is not too far away,” Kartal told us “It has put into perspective for all the British players just how possible it could be to break through The fact that she hadn’t even won a single match in a WTA event and then went out and won the US Open… it was just crazy “I sent her a text to say well done after the win in New York and there is no jealousy from my end Just a realisation that we can all do it if we push hard and take our chances.” Emma Raducanu faces ‘difficult’ reality as she attempts to deal with fame The 5 women to win a WTA final 6-0, 6-0 since 2000: Emma Navarro matches Iga Swiatek Kartal may have got fed up answering questions about her junior matches against Raducanu but she accepts the questions are inevitable “I remembered the match when we were nine and the point that was replayed so many times so well Luckily I hit the winning shot at the end of it,” she added “The interest in those videos went around the world and I was in Turkey two weeks ago playing an event and some Italian coaches came up to me as they knew I was the girl on the clips playing Raducanu “My story is a little different to Emma’s because I have had some injury problems that have hampered me but we can all take inspiration from her success.” READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu could ‘walk away from tennis’ like another British starlet © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved Sonay Kartal misses out on main draw at Miami Open a week after reaching last 16 at Indian Wells; Harriet Dart also fails to qualify; Jacob Fearnley and Billy Harris one win from tournament proper in men's event - watch Miami Open live on Sky Sports from March 18-30 Great Britain's Sonay Kartal has been knocked out in qualifying for the Miami Open a week after reaching the last 16 at Indian Wells ousting top-20 player Beatriz Haddad Maia en route to the fourth round before being beaten by world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets the 23-year-old missed out on a spot in Florida after losing 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 to America's Taylor Townsend Kartal rose to No 63 in the world after her run at Indian Wells and is now just three places behind 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu who plays Japan's Sayaka Ishii in her opening match in Miami Harriet Dart was also unable to make the main draw losing 6-4 6-3 to Australia's Kimberly Birrell That leaves Katie Boulter and Raducanu as Britain's only representatives in the women's singles at the tournament proper Britain's Jacob Fearnley and Billy Harris are each one win away from reaching the main draw Fearnley disposed of Netherlands' Thijs Boogaard 6-4 6-3 and will now face American Tristan Boyer while Harris came from a set down to defeat Sweden's Mikael Ymer 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 and secure a showdown with Frenchman Hugo Gaston New Indian Wells champion Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie will compete in Miami with Draper given a first-round bye ahead of a last-64 clash against either Roberto Bautista Agut or Jakub Mensik Norrie will take on Bu Yunchaokete of China in the first round with the winner to face 10th seed Alex de Minaur Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and on the Sky Sports app Sonay Kartal at the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open: Live Stream TV ChannelData SkriveIn the Round of 128 at the Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday Cristian fell to Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah 2-6 3-6 in the Round of 16 at the Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole on April 16 Kartal lost her most recent match on April 15 2025 in the Round of 32 at the Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole to Varvara Gracheva 3-6 Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 9:57 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub Related Topics: Olivia Nicholls, Jule Niemeier, Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Harriet Dart, Billie Jean King Cup, Laura Siegemund, Sabine Lisicki Sonay Kartal impressed on debut to give Great Britain a 1-0 lead over Germany in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying Kartal weathered the big-hitting of an emotional Jule Niemeier to win 6-4 6-2 in the Netherlands World number 60 Kartal looked comfortable on the clay moving well and often beating Niemeier in exchanges from the back of the court British number one Katie Boulter will look to seal the tie for GB when she faces Tatjana Maria in the second singles match before Olivia Nicholls and Harriet Dart play Laura Siegemund and Anna-Lena Friedsam in the doubles Welcome Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog OutPAGE NOT FOUNDThe page you requested was not found You may have followed an old link or typed the address incorrectly We've also been doing some house cleaning so the page may have been moved or removed Please try searching for what you are looking for or you could go to the home page and start from there Or you may be interested in today's top stories TT – TEHRAN – Newly-appointed head coach of Persepolis expressed his hope for winning title with the team The 63-year-old coach was named Persepolis on Friday and traveled to Tehran Saturday morning Kartal has penned am 18-month deal with Persepolis He replaces Spanish coach Juan Carlos Garrido for the remainder of the season “The Persepolis management has been in contact with me for a while I conducted a thorough investigation and found out that Persepolis are one of the most prominent clubs in Iran with 40,000 to 50,000 spectators attending each match They are currently in fourth place in the Iranian league and also compete in the AFC Champions League Elite,” Kartal told the reports “The Persepolis management showed serious interest had also made offers but I decided to work with Persepolis Perhaps we can achieve a great season by winning the league and the domestic cup and I am optimistic about years to come We know we need to work hard to attain these goals joining Persepolis is a special and positive opportunity and I hope my performance will pave the way for other Turkish coaches as well,” the Turkish coach added Kartal further discussed the recruitment of foreign players saying: “There are players I want to bring from Turkey to Iran There are a few players I am familiar with them but we have to consider the transfer window first.” “I spoke with Mustafa Denizli and Ertugrul Saglam and received valuable insights which helped me decide to accept Persepolis’s offer,” he concluded Ismail Kartal will earn $2.2 million from Persepolis under his 1.5-year contract the highest points in a single season in the club’s history but the team fell short of winning the championship TEHRAN - Persepolis football team head coach Ismail Kartal said that they are well aware that how strong Al Hilal are but they are also ready to meet the team Kartal spoke at a press conference before his team's match against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in the 2024/25 the AFC Champions League Elite and we were held to a 1-1 draw in our last league match We understand the significance of playing against Al Hilal and we've had productive training sessions over the last few days preparing us for tomorrow's game,” he said Securing at least three points is essential for qualification both the coaching staff and players will give their all to move to the next stage We aim to send a message to our vast community that we are striving for success with an aggressive and impressive performance tomorrow,” the Turkish coach added Regarding the potential inclusion of new striker Serdar Dursun “Durson was under my management at Fenerbahce and has experience with other Turkish teams I will speak with him tomorrow to determine if he can play for 90 or just 45 minutes Persepolis are to meet Al Hilal in Riyadh Tuesday night Although Al Hilal's qualification is already secured Persepolis desperately need points to keep their qualification hopes alive.