Sonay Kartal has admitted that she struggles to see over the net at times. The Brit was knocked out of Wimbledon over the weekend, suffering a 6-7 4-6 defeat to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the round of 16.
Although her Russian opponent was impressive on the day, the Electric Line Calling (ELC) system dominated some of the discussions after the match. The technology malfunctioned in the first set, not calling Kartal’s backhand shot out when it was visible. The point was therefore ordered to be replayed by umpire Nico Helwerth.
Speaking after her defeat, Kartal was asked about the incident, where she admitted that she consistently has a limited view of her shots due to her height. She explained: “It’s unfortunate for me. I’m quite short.
“So where the net tape is, a lot of the time I lose my vision so I can’t look over the baseline. But from where I was, I couldn’t see. From my point, I felt like I hit the backhand clean. Maybe I have to look at the replay. My vision was kind of blinded.”
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With Kartal being one of the shortest players in the Wimbledon women’s draw at 5ft 6 (162.5cm), it is no surprise to learn of how her height can hinder her play. The standard tennis net is 3ft tall in the middle of the court and 3.5ft tall at the posts.
Although her height has not been a true hindrance over the years, Kartal has adjusted her playing style to ensure that that would not be the case. She said: “I’ve obviously not got the long limbs so I have got to make up for it with speed around the court.