After a quick 6-1, 6-2

Second Round! Successful Start for Potapova

Anastasia Potapova(Bild: GEPA)

Just as at the Australian Open, Austria is represented by two women in the second round in Paris. Following Julia Grabher, Anastasia Potapova also breezed through her opening match. The new Austrian defeated Maya Joint 6-1, 6-2 in just 69 minutes. “I plan to go really far here,” Potapova says, setting her sights high.

Julia Grabher had needed just 71 minutes for her opening victory, and Anastasia Potapova didn’t want to be outdone. The Russian-born player faced a seemingly tough opponent in the Australian Maya Joint, but completely dominated the match. Especially in the first set, she gave her no chance, winning 6-1 in a flash.

Here are the match stats:

In the second set, Potapova—cheered on by a handful of Austrian fans—briefly lost her serve and also struggled with the heat, yet she still prevailed 6-2. Overall, she needed just 69 minutes for the victory—two minutes less than Grabher.

Next up: an English or American opponent
Afterward, the new Austrian took the time to pose for selfies with fans. The only blemish in the match was her first-serve percentage of just 44 percent. But given her clear victory, this should actually be encouraging, suggesting she has significantly more potential than she had to draw upon on Monday. In the second round, Potapova will face either Katie Boulter (GBR) or Akasha Urhobo (USA). She will be the favorite there as well.

But even if she doesn’t want to look any further ahead herself, Potapova doesn’t mince words when it comes to her goals at this French Open. “I want to go really far here,” explains the 25-year-old, and she doesn’t shy away from talking about the title. “Of course that’s a big goal. But it would be silly to be afraid of such big ambitions,” says Potapova. “My recent results have given me a lot of confidence. In Madrid and Rome, I saw that I can keep up with anyone.”