Anastasia Potapova may be up against Mirra Andreeva in this year’s Madrid Open final.
Potapova wasn’t planning on going this far. She lost to Sinja Kraus during qualifying and hadn’t expected to reach the main draw, let alone make a run deep into the tournament.
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Since then, she’s knocked out some big names, including Elena Rybakina, Karolina Pliskova, and Jelena Ostapenko, becoming the first lucky loser to ever make it to a WTA 1000 semi-final.
Potapova is now just one win away from a spot in the Madrid Open final. If she makes it through, she could face Andreeva, who has spoken very highly of her throughout the tournament.
Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images
Anastasia Potapova opens up about her friendship with Mirra Andreeva
Since December last year, Potapova has been representing Austria, but her Russian roots still connect her to Andreeva.
Potapova had plenty of good things to say about the newly turned 19-year-old and even suggested that she could be the greatest one day.
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“Well, I know her so well. We [are] actually good friends. We talk a lot,” Potapova said about Andreeva in her post-match press conference. Also with her parents, such lovely people. She is so talented. She’s so young.”
“We just played a final a week ago, what can I say? She already is a little champion, and I just want to wish her all the best. I’m rooting for her all the time with all my heart.
“I can only say good things. If you expect me to say something bad, it won’t ever happen, because I really think she can be the greatest.
She has it all and I would be just happy for her. And if we can play final it will be very beautiful.”
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Mirra Andreeva’s record against Anastasia Potapova
If both players make it to the Madrid Open final, it would mark their fifth meeting overall. Andreeva recently defeated Potapova in the Linz Open final just over two weeks ago, extending her head-to-head lead to 3-1.
The teenager now has wins over Potapova on every surface, with her only loss coming at the 2022 Jasmin Open in Monastir, Tunisia, when she was just 15.
Potapova still needs to get past Marta Kostyuk if she’s going to book her place in the Madrid Open final. Their head-to-head is tied at 2-2, but Kostyuk has taken the last two meetings between them, including one at this tournament last year.
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Andreeva also has a tough task ahead of her. She’s up against Hailey Baptiste in the semifinals – a player who has already knocked out Aryna Sabalenka earlier in this tournament.
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