British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic was knocked out of the Hong Kong Open in the round of 16 following a straight-sets defeat to Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez on Thursday. The loss came just a day after the 17-year-old earned her maiden WTA Tour victory.
Defeat Following Landmark Victory
Stojsavljevic was beaten 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 by world number 67 Sonmez in a match that lasted slightly over two hours. The Londoner had reached the second round after producing a major upset on Wednesday against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, having gained entry into the draw as a lucky loser with only an hour’s notice before her match.
Stojsavljevic entered the tournament ranked 411th in the world. However, her victory against Kenin has moved her up in the live rankings to just outside the top 350.
Recent Career Milestones
Earlier in 2024, Stojsavljevic became the first British player to win the US Open girls’ singles title since Heather Watson achieved the feat in 2009. She also made her international debut for Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup against Australia in Melbourne in April, securing a straight-sets victory over current world number 36 Talia Gibson.
Sonmez’s win sets up a quarter-final clash against Claire Liu, who advanced after defeating Britain’s Katie Boulter. The Hong Kong Open, where Sorana Cîrstea features as the top seed and Alexandra Eala as the second seed, runs through Sunday, coinciding with the start of the WTA Finals at Indian Wells.
