Anastasia Potapova is set to compete against Karolina Pliskova in the Madrid Open quarterfinal. Potapova, a lucky loser, will be looking to continue her unexpected run in the tournament.
Potapova’s Path to the Quarterfinal
Potapova has capitalised on a lucky loser opportunity. She upset World No. 2 Elena Rybakina in her previous match. The win over Rybakina marked her fourth career victory over a top 5 opponent. This run has propelled her into her 32nd singles quarterfinal and fourth WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Potapova said after her win over Rybakina that she came out on court with nothing to regret, with nothing to lose. She wanted to see where her level is now. She added that such a win gives her a booster mentally and physically and that she and her team are going to make everything to recover and go out on match day and enjoy.
Her clay-court season has seen a strong start. She reached the final in Linz, marking her best performance since reaching the quarterfinals in Cluj-Napoca and the third round at the Australian Open.
A Chance to Make History
With a win over Pliskova, Potapova could achieve a notable milestone. She could become the first lucky loser to reach the semifinal at a Tier 1/WTA 1000 event since the format’s introduction in 1990. Furthermore, she would also reach her first career WTA 1000 semifinal. She has lost the previous three quarterfinals, most recently at Indian Wells in 2024.
Pliskova’s Tournament So Far
Pliskova has the lone victory in the head-to-head. She secured it during a run to her most recent WTA 1000 quarterfinal in Doha two years ago. Pliskova has picked up convincing wins over Maria Sakkari and Elise Mertens. She overcame a 1-4 [0-40] deficit in the latter, as well as handling Solana Sierra with ease on Monday.
Pliskova is using a protected ranking to enter the tournament directly. Her current World No. 197 ranking makes Pliskova the lowest ranked quarterfinalist in the tournament’s history. She’s eyeing her second semifinal in Madrid, where she had her best run at the event in 2018.
Match Details
- The match is scheduled for Manolo Santana NB 1:00 p.m.
- Pliskova leads the head-to-head 1-0.
- Their last meeting was at the 2024 Doha second round, where Pliskova won 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
This is likely the most unexpected quarterfinal matchup in the draw. Pliskova is finding a strong rhythm in just her second clay-court tournament since returning from injury. Potapova is capitalizing on a 35-minute notice lucky loser opportunity. Both Pliskova and Potapova are the lone unseeded players left in the tournament.
The winner will secure a spot in the Madrid Open semifinal.