Preview: Sonay Kartal vs. Katie Boulter - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

A blockbuster all-British contest headlines Thursday's Nottingham Open action, as defending champion Katie Boulter pits her wits against rising star Sonay Kartal in the second round.

The 2023 and 2024 tournament winner dropped just four games en route to victory over Lulu Sun on Tuesday, while Kartal also navigated her way past Leolia Jeanjean in straight sets.

Match preview

Straight after putting Sun to the sword in the first round, two-time Nottingham Open winner Boulter revealed that she had made a bold claim to upcoming foe Kartal, which could be seen as either laying down the gauntlet or simple healthy words of encouragement.

Boulter expressed her belief that Kartal will eventually usurp her in the WTA rankings, certainly not an outlandish prediction amid the sustained rise of the latter, who is now enjoying life in the top 50 for the first time.

On the back of an early Queen's giant killing, taking down Daria Kasatkina before being dumped out by eventual runner-up Amanda Anisimova, Kartal got the job done 6-3 6-4 against French qualifier Jeanjean in Tuesday's first-round showdown.

Taking 1-1 minutes to seal the deal, Kartal registered an eye-catching 68% of second-serve points won and brought up 11 break points against the world number 94, although she only needed to convert three of them.

Victory over the Frenchwoman also saw Kartal avenge Jodie Burrage and Heather Watson's qualifying defeats to Jeanjean, but rather than battling for the Brits, the world number 50 now battles against a Brit with a precious quarter-final spot at stake.

Donning the same colours when Billie Jean King Cup season rolls around, Kartal and Boulter now become fierce foes for approximately two hours on Thursday, as the latter continues to chase a stunning Nottingham three-peat.

The eighth seed's second-round exit at Queen's coupled with Emma Raducanu progressing to the quarters saw her lose her British number one ranking, but the national number two laid down quite the early market against New Zealander Sun on Tuesday.

Raducanu memorably fell to Sun's superiority at Wimbledon last year, but Boulter had few problems storming to a 6-2 6-2 triumph in just 74 minutes, breaking twice in each set on what was largely a comfortable afternoon's work.

Eight double faults represented a few minor blots on the notebook, but the 28-year-old excelled when break points came both for and against her, taking four of the five she fashioned while saving each of the four that Sun brought up.

Now boasting an astonishing 11 straight victories on the Nottingham lawns, Boulter's reward for a 12th consecutive win at the tournament will be a quarter-final contest with either McCartney Kessler or Zhu Lin, and of course the bragging rights at the next Great Britain get-together.

Tournament so far

Sonay Kartal:

First round: vs. Leolia Jeanjean 6-3 6-4

Katie Boulter:

First round: vs. Lulu Sun 6-2 6-2

Head To Head

Surbiton Trophy (2023) - Last 16: Boulter wins 3-6 6-3 6-4

While Thursday's scrap will mark Kartal and Boulter's maiden meeting on the WTA Tour, the pair collided as professionals for the first time at the Surbiton Trophy two years ago.

During that ITF battle, Boulter - who was coincidentally seeded eighth again - came from a set down to see off Kartal 3-6 6-3 6-4, firing a mammoth 10 aces on the day.

Boulter ultimately reached the semi-finals of that 2023 competition, thus becoming British number one for the first time, before falling to eventual champion Yanina Wickmayer.

We say: Boulter to win in three sets

What the 5ft 4in Kartal lacks in height, she makes up for with raw power, speed and agility, and the defending champion will know all too well the challenge on her hands here.

However, Boulter's ruthlessness on break points and Nottingham nous should win out in three sets, as the 28-year-old remains atop her throne for a little while longer.

Written by
Ben Knapton

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