Advances to the Round of 16

A Fierce Potapova Gives Anisimova No Chance

Anastasia Potapova is in the round of 16 at the US Open.(Bild: EPA/SARAH YENESEL)

Anastasia Potapova has advanced to the round of 16 at the US Open! The newly naturalized Austrian defeated American Amanda Anisimova (WTA No. 10) in two sets, 6-2, 7-5. 

Tennis player Anastasia Potapova pulled off a major upset at the U.S. Open. Austria’s No. 1 knocked out last year’s finalist, Amanda Anisimova, in the third round on Saturday in New York. The 25-year-old defeated her American opponent, who is the same age, 6-2, 7-5. In the round of 16—her first at a Grand Slam tournament other than the French Open—Potapova will face another top-ten player: Russian Paris champion Mirra Andreeva.

“I’m the happiest person out here,” Potapova said after a marked improvement in her performance compared to the first two rounds. The Russian-born player fended off six break points in her very first service game and broke Anisimova’s serve to take a 2-1 lead. She then capitalized on the world No. 10’s numerous unforced errors. Potapova secured another break to make it 5–2, clinching the first set.

Anisimova Erratic
Anisimova committed 19 unforced errors in the first set; her total for the match was no fewer than 46. The former world No. 3, who has yet to find her stride this year and has not reached a single WTA final, had already dropped a set in the second round against Austria’s 18-year-old rising star, Lilli Tagger. In the second set, the favorite seemed to find her footing early on thanks to her strong backhand. After squandering nine break points, Anisimova converted her tenth to tie the score at 1-1.

Amanda Anisimova(Bild: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Until the score reached 2–2, neither player held her serve. Potapova secured another break to make it 5–4 and served for the match. Anisimova, who reached the finals last year at both the hard-court major in New York and the grass-court classic at Wimbledon, fought her way back one last time with a rebreak before Potapova broke her serve again and, after 1 hour and 39 minutes, converted her first match point—fittingly on a ball that went long off her opponent’s racket.

The match at Louis Armstrong Stadium, the second-largest arena at the Flushing Meadows complex, was at times an emotional roller coaster in the second set. While Anisimova appeared increasingly frustrated, Potapova shouted out her joy on several occasions. “It’s not easy, and it takes time to learn,” Potapova said when asked about her emotions. “I’m still in the learning process.” She admitted she’s a little crazy. “But in a good way. I’m not really afraid of anything; I’m always looking for an adrenaline rush.”

Now Andrejewa awaits
The Austrian-Russian dual citizen not only secured her second victory in her third match against Anisimova, but she’s also reached the round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the third time in her career. So far, Potapova has only achieved this in Paris in 2024 and 2026; she has never reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal. “It was a very good match, and I’m looking forward to the next challenge,” said the world No. 25. “I want to play my best tennis in the next match.” There, she’ll face 19-year-old Andreeva, the No. 5 seed.

Andreyeva, who had dropped only six games total in the first two rounds, defeated the Czech No. 34 in the world, Nikola Bartunkova, 6-2, 7-6(5). Potapova had celebrated her only victory to date in four matches against her Russian compatriot in Monastir in 2022. At the time, Andreyeva was 15 years old. In April, Potapova lost to the teenager in the final of the WTA tournament in Linz. The young star had also prevailed in the second round of the US Open last year.