Elena Rybakina had come into the Madrid Open as one of the favorites. The World No. 2 had clinched the title in Stuttgart earlier this month and was expected to make it to the later stages of the tournament. However, her campaign would be brought to an end in the R16 by Anastasia Potapova. The Austrian clinched the match 7-6, 6-3 in an hour and 53 minutes. While she played several impressive shots throughout the match, there was one that was simply better than the rest.

The first set proved to be very tight as both the players refused to give in. It ended up going into a tiebreaker where Potapova took a 9-8 lead and got the chance to serve for the set. She put in a decent serve, but Rybakina returned it well. However, Potapova then unleashed an immaculate backhand that sealed the point and the opening set. While she did lose her balance while playing the shot, she was still able to generate enough power to take it out of Rybakina’s reach.

The 25-year-old would continue this momentum in the second set as well, causing one of the biggest upsets of the clay swing so far. Notably, Potapova was on the verge of losing the first set at one stage as Rybakina had earned the chance to serve at 5-3. But the latter faltered big time and ended up losing her serve, providing her opponent with a way back into the set.

Interestingly, Potapova had entered the main draw of the Madrid Open as a lucky loser. She had been knocked out of the tournament after losing her qualifying match against Sinja Kraus. However, she got an opportunity to be a part of the main draw after Madison Keys pulled out just minutes before her first-round clash due to an illness.

Potapova made the most out of the opportunity given to her and defeated Zhang Shuai 6-1, 6-3 to advance into the Round of 32. She then put in another solid performance against Jelena Ostapenko and made a remarkable comeback after being a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The victory over Rybakina makes Potapova the first lucky loser to reach the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open since the tournament’s inception back in 2009. She has also become the third lucky loser to reach the last 8 of a WTA 1000 event this year. Previously, Elisabetta Cocciaretto had done it in Doha and Antonia Ruzic in Dubai.

This was the eighth time that Potapova got the better of a Grand Slam champion in her career. The Austrian has already knocked out two Grand Slam winners in Madrid and is now set to take on former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals. This will only be the second meeting between the two and it was the Czech, who had come out on top in the previous match.

After securing a place in the quarterfinals, Potapova highlighted how rare it is to get a second chance in a tournament and also shared her remarks on the monumental win against Rybakina.

Anastasia Potapova described the victory over Elena Rybakina as a “big booster”

“I’m very happy. I got my second chance during this tournament, and I think I’m using it pretty good. As I said, I’m just enjoying being here because it’s very rare when you get a second chance in the same tournament. It’s just enjoyment and excitement, what more can I say?” Potapova said during her post-match interview.

Currently ranked No. 56, Potapova is no mood to stop and wants to keep on improving as the season progresses further.

“It’s such a big booster. She’s Australian Open champion, she’s No.2, she’s one of the best right now. Of course I’m feeling grateful for this win, but also, I don’t want to stop at this win. I want to keep improving and maybe get closer to these girls in the meantime,” she added.

Despite winning no titles, Potapova has still had a promising season so far. This includes a quarterfinal finish at the Transylvania Open and a final appearance at the Linz Open where she had lost to Mirra Andreeva. An impressive campaign at the Rome Masters as well can see her cement a place in the top 50 before the French Open rolls in from May 24. However, for now, her focus will be solely on the Madrid Open where she has already enjoyed a remarkable run.

Will Potapova be able to maintain her form at the Spanish capital and go on to reach the semifinals, or will Pliskova prove to be too good for her? Let us know your predictions in the comments!