Klugman, 17, scores first WTA win in Nottingham; Sonmez upsets Fernandez

How far would you go for your first WTA main-draw win?

For Hannah Klugman, who defeated Harriet Dart 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the Lexus Nottingham Open on Tuesday, the answer was 256 miles. After the 17-year-old Briton lost her second qualifying round 6-2, 6-4 to Zeynep Sonmez on Sunday, she headed back to her home in London, 128 miles away. It had been a positive tournament for the former junior No. 1 -- she'd scored her first Top 100 win over Anastasia Zakharova 7-6(5), 6-2 in her opener -- but at No. 509, she was the lowest-ranked of the six players to fall in the final qualifying round. A lucky loser berth seemed improbable.

But the withdrawals kept coming. Jaqueline Cristian was first to pull out, citing a right knee injury. Iva Jovic sustained a left ankle injury at Queen's; Barbora Krejcikova fell ill in 's-Hertogenbosch. Queen's finalist Emma Raducanu withdrew due to a change of schedule, and Katie Boulter due to a left knee injury.

That was the state of play on Monday evening -- and meant that Klugman was the next in.

"My coach was telling me we had to drive back up at 5 a.m. this morning," she told the crowd after coming from 4-2 down in the second set to beat wild card Dart. "It's been a long day for me."

The sixth withdrawal, and the one that allowed Klugman to enter the main draw, came from 2025 Roland Garros semifinalist Lois Boisson, citing a left lower leg injury. The teenager made the most of it, firing six aces and a series of superb down-the-line winners to overpower her compatriot.

"Because I lost, I think I had to take this chance and give it my all," Klugman said. "I did that -- I didn't play with any fear. I didn't want to have any regrets after this match."

In press, Klugman expanded on how that's been a goal during a season in which the transition from the junior ranks to the pros has been far from smooth. Prior to Nottingham, she'd compiled a modest 16-13 record, mostly competing at ITF level and failing to go beyond any quarterfinal. Klugman is trusting the process, though.

"It's not been easy, but my game's getting better and improving," she said. "Results maybe not there just yet, but it's about piecing it together. Today showed that. It's coming together and there's some great stuff in my game. My serve's a massive weapon, especially on the grass.

"I struggled a little bit transitioning from juniors. You're used to winning a lot, used to going deep in tournaments. And then you're playing [ITF W35s] every week. You're losing a lot more. I think I struggled a bit with that at the start of the year.

For Klugman, a particular challenge has been to play more aggressively. Despite her easy power off both wings, she considers herself a crafty player -- but acknowledges that style "comes with sometimes being too passive." Moreover, for two years she's also struggled with what she describes as a "tough patch" with her serve, as too many double faults have undermined one of her chief weapons.

"These last couple of months, I've decided to be more aggressive," Klugman said. "And also, you have to. When you play these women, you have to be aggressive. You've got to go for it. But it's kind of finding that middle."

If a maiden WTA victory wasn't enough, Tuesday also brought the news of a Wimbledon main-draw wild card for the second year in a row -- last year, Klugman lost to Leylah Fernandez 6-1, 6-3 in the first round.

"It's been a good day," she said. "I think that also gave me an extra push as well ... I wanted to show what I could do, show that I've kind of earned it."

Klugman will next face No. 4 seed Marie Bouzkova in the second round.

Sonmez, the player who defeated Klugman in qualifying, also made an impact on the tournament on Tuesday. The Turkish player upset No. 2 seed Fernandez 6-4, 7-6(1), coming from 5-3 down and saving a set point in the second set. The contest was a top-quality affair, with both players so determined to take the ball early that some of the high-octane baseline exchanges were almost entirely played with half-volleys.

The result reversed Sonmez's 6-7(2), 6-1, 7-6(5) loss to Fernandez in the second round of Stuttgart in April -- a 3-hour, 7-minute heartbreaker in which she'd led 5-1 in the third set.

Sonmez will next face qualifier Viktorija Golubic, who reprised her qualifying win over Sofia Kenin in the main draw after the American entered as a lucky loser. The second time round was tougher -- Golubic advanced 6-3, 6-4 in qualifying but was taken to three in the rematch, triumphing 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.