Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sönmez opened her National Bank Open campaign with a composed straight-sets victory Tuesday, defeating Canada's Rebecca Marino 7-5, 6-4 to reach the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto.
The Turkish No. 1 needed 1 hour, 34 minutes to overcome the home favorite, producing a steady performance from the baseline and capitalizing on key moments in both sets to secure her place in the next round.
Sönmez weathered a competitive opening set before pulling away late, then maintained control in the second to seal another milestone victory during what has become the finest stretch of her career.
The win adds to the growing list of achievements for the 24-year-old, who has transformed Turkish women's tennis over the past two seasons.
Sönmez became the first Turkish player to break into the WTA top 50 and holds the highest singles ranking ever achieved by a Turkish woman, surpassing the previous national mark set by Çağla Büyükakçay.
