Anastasia Potapova is into the last 16 of the US Open for the first time in her career after knocking out 10th seed Amanda Anisimova in straight sets.
The 25-year-old Russian-born Austrian surged to a 6-2, 7-5 win over Anisimova, who was runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in the tournament last year. It is only the third time Potapova has reached the fourth round of a major event, having previously done so twice at the French Open (2024 and 2026). It is the third time she has beaten a top-10 player this season, after Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, both of whom she defeated at clay events.
Throughout the clash, Potapova capitalised on a series of costly mistakes from her American rival, who produced 46 unforced errors. Although it was a far-from-straightforward encounter for the world No.25, in the second set she lost a break advantage three times before eventually closing out the match.
“I think I’m the happiest person out here. Maybe my coach is a little bit happier, but that’s the question we are going to find out later,” Potapova said during her on-court interview.
Potapova’s run comes after what has been a challenging time on the Tour for her. Coming into the US Open, she had failed to win back-to-back matches at six consecutive tournaments. The last time she won consecutive matches at a hardcourt event before playing in New York was back in April at the Linz Open.
Awaiting her in the next round could be fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, if the Russian wins her third round match against Nikola Bartunkova. The upcoming clash could be a tense encounter, which could play into the hands of Potapova.
“I’m a little bit crazy, but in a good way. I’m probably not scared of anything,” she said.
“I’m always looking for adrenaline in my life. I’m super excited for the next one (match). It was a very nice match today, but now it’s time to recover.”
Zheng stages incredible comeback
Qinwen Zheng was on the verge of exiting the US Open before producing a stunning seven-game winning run to edge out Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 in a dramatic encounter that saw her save a match point. In the decider, the qualifier was down 0-5 before a stunning turn of events that saw the Chinese player fight back as Keys started to fall apart on the court. At one stage, Keys got so frustrated that she hit her head repeatedly with her racket. Meanwhile, Zheng held her nerve to close out the match.
“I always believe, especially when I was down 4-5 (in the third set), it was a very tough game, and in that moment, I showed no emotion. I just keep fighting, keep going,” said Zheng.
“Against Maddie, you can’t be too passive. I found the right balance at the end of the game. I’m just super happy to win this match.”
This year is the first time former world No.4 has played at the US Open since 2024. Last season she was sidelined for a lengthy period after undergoing elbow surgery and has struggled with her return. So much so that New York is the first major event where she has recorded a win in the main draw since the surgery. She is now on a six-match winning run after also winning three rounds of qualifying.
“After the surgery it was not easy, I felt like I lost a bit of my energy,” she reflected.
“I’ve been through a really tough three, four, five months. That’s the worst period of my time in my career since I entered the pro (Tour).
“But luckily, thanks to my team, we’ve been working really hard at the IMG Academy after Toronto, and the hard work finally pays off.”
At her best, Zheng is a former Australian Open finalist with five Tour-level titles to her name. She was also runner-up at the 2024 WTA Finals. She is also a two-time US Open quarter-finalist.
