Sonay Kartal: British number four wins first WTA title in Tunisia

“I played my best tennis this week and had some of my best wins,” said Kartal, after surviving qualifying and losing just one set in the tournament in Monastir.

“I feel like I’ve grown with every game. I’ve tried so hard to leave the occasion and the score behind me.”

Both ladies were playing in a final at this level for the first time and Kartal warned beforehand that the player who dealt with the situation best would be the winner.

After losing her serve in the opening game and making an early mistake, she now showed that she has greater tactical insight to exercise control.

Kartal won the last three games of the first set to take a 4-1 lead in the second, but her serve let her down, although she was under intense pressure from the resurgent Sramkova.

She overcame that pressure and defeated her 27-year-old opponent four times in a second set that lasted 71 minutes, eventually winning the set in just under two hours.

“I started the year with the goal of getting into the top 150 and I’ve achieved that goal now,” said Kartal, who was ranked 298th in the world before reaching the third round of Wimbledon this year.

“I’m just trying to finish the year in the top 100.”

Elsewhere, 23-year-old Briton Jacob Fearnley won his third Challenger Tour title in four months, beating 27-year-old Frenchman Quentin Halys 0-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in Rennes.

He is now expected to rise to 129th in the world rankings, a rise of 396 places since graduating from Texas Christian University in May.