NEW DELHI: Anastasia Potapova pulled off a remarkable upset at the WTA San Diego Open on Wednesday by defeating top-seeded Ons Jabeur 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
Ranked 27th globally, Potapova demonstrated the importance of patience in her strategy against the world number seven, Ons Jabeur, who reached her third Grand Slam final at Wimbledon earlier this year.
Speaking about her victory, Potapova stated, "Ons is very tough to play against. She is truly one of the best in the world, and her playing style can be very uncomfortable. I'm genuinely delighted and proud to secure this win."
Jabeur, who had received a first-round bye, was coming off a fourth-round appearance at the US Open, where she had to go through illness in the early rounds.
Potapova secured her sixth career victory against a top-10 player and is now set to face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the quarter-finals. Kenin won her match against fellow American Katie Volynets with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
During the match, Potapova capitalized on six out of her 11 break opportunities, finishing the opening set by breaking Jabeur's serve without conceding a point.
In the second set, Jabeur served for the win at 6-5 but was eventually broken by Potapova. The tiebreaker saw Potapova taking a 4-0 lead before Jabeur mounted a comeback to level it at 4-4.
Jabeur's ninth double fault of the match granted Potapova a double match point, which she seized as the Tunisian's forehand went wide, concluding the thrilling encounter.
On the other hand, second-seeded Caroline Garcia from France was scheduled to kick off her campaign later on Wednesday, facing a challenging second-round matchup against Sloane Stephens.
(With AFP inputs)
