Elvina Kalieva needed three hours and 17 minutes to eliminate fourth seed Zeynep Sonmez in the round of 16 at the WTA 250 event in Memphis. The American, ranked 132nd, prevailed over the Turkish player, who is 52nd in the world.

The victory marks the first time the 23-year-old has advanced to the quarterfinal stage of a top-tier WTA tournament. The match was the longest of her career at this level of the circuit.

Sonmez entered the tournament as one of the highest-ranked players in the draw. Her elimination opens up one side of the Memphis bracket.

Kalieva’s run represents a breakthrough after competing primarily on the lower tiers of professional tennis. The WTA posted match highlights from the contest on its official channels.