French Open: Kalinskaya survives epic Potapova battle to reach maiden QF
Anna Kalinskaya survived a dramatic three-set thriller against Anastasia Potapova on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, saving multiple match points to win 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7) and secure her first-ever career quarter-final spot at the French Open
Paris: Anna Kalinskaya won one of the most dramatic matches of the Roland Garros fortnight, defeating Anastasia Potapova in a thrilling three-set match to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time in her career.
The 22nd-seeded Russian fought for two hours and 49 minutes on Court Suzanne-Lenglen before winning 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7) against the 28th-seeded Austrian. The match saw frequent shifts in momentum and could have gone to either player at several points.
Kalinskaya’s progress to the quarter-finals is only her second at a Grand Slam, following her breakthrough at the 2024 Australian Open. Notably, she reached Paris having won only one main-draw match at Roland Garros prior to this year’s tournament.
Moments after the match ended, the Russian admitted she was still processing what had just unfolded. “I’m shocked. I can’t believe the match is over,” Kalinskaya said during her on-court interview.
The match was marked by dramatic momentum swings. Kalinskaya came back from 4-1 down in the first set to take an early lead, but Potapova responded strongly by winning the second set and forcing a deciding third.
The final set featured even more surprises. After trailing 4-1, Potapova rallied to get back into the match and had two opportunities to serve for the victory at 5-4 and 6-5. However, Kalinskaya stayed determined each time, extending the contest into a tie-break.
Even then, the drama persisted. Potapova raced to a 4-1 lead in the tie-break and seemed headed for victory, but a series of costly errors allowed Kalinskaya to mount a comeback and complete a stunning turnaround.
In her reflection on the match, Kalinskaya commended her opponent, praised the intense competition, and summed up the contest in similarly emotional terms.
“A really long fight from both of us ’til the last seconds. I’ve played her many times, but this one was definitely special. She improved a lot, so today was super challenging. It was an unbelievable fight from both of us until the last second,” she said.
One of the defining features of the deciding set was Kalinskaya’s ability to remain composed despite repeatedly finding herself on the brink of defeat. Asked later how she handled the pressure when Potapova was serving for the match, the Russian revealed an unexpectedly simple approach.
“I don’t have any nerves any more whatsoever. I was hoping to stay focused, and things didn’t work. So I was a little bit like, whatever.”
That shift in mindset helped her reset and focus on the fundamentals. “So I could relax a little bit and get the rhythm, focus on my breathing and try to break her. I’m super happy I could do it.”
The victory improves Kalinskaya’s head-to-head record against Potapova to 3-0 and sends her into just the fifth clay-court quarter-final of her career. Standing between her and a maiden Grand Slam semi-final will be either French hope Diane Parry or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.
