Roland Garros: Teen Potapova Ousts Idol Kerber, Tsitsipas Through
26th May 2019
The Russian said she had looked up to Kerber, 13 years her senior, as a child
- Russian teenager Anastasia Potapova said she was left "speechless" after knocking out her "idol" Angelique Kerber in the first round of the French Open on Sunday
- The 18-year-old made short work of the fifth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion, who was bidding to complete a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, winning 6-4, 6-2
- Potapova hammered 28 winners past the flailing Kerber, who had been struggling with a right ankle injury in the build-up to the event
PARIS, France-
Russian teenager Anastasia Potapova said she was left "speechless"
after knocking out her "idol" Angelique Kerber in the first round of
the French Open on Sunday.
The 18-year-old made
short work of the fifth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion, who was bidding
to complete a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, winning 6-4, 6-2.
Playing in the main
draw of the tournament for the first time in her young career, Potapova claimed
her first-ever victory over a top-10 player to set up a second-round tie
against either fellow teenager Marketa Vondrousova or China's Wang Yafan.
"I was just
speechless," she said. "I didn't know what to say and what to do,
but, yes, I was so happy at that moment, and I'm still so happy.
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"I live for
this win, for these emotions, for these moments. I'm going to do everything to
live it through again and again and again."
Potapova hammered 28
winners past the flailing Kerber, who had been struggling with a right ankle
injury in the build-up to the event.
The Russian said she
had looked up to Kerber, 13 years her senior, as a child.
"I was really
looking forward for this match, because Kerber, I like her very much. She's
actually one of my idols, and when I was young I was looking for her game, how
she's playing," said Potapova, the 2016 junior Wimbledon champion.
"When you step
in on the court and you know you play your, I would say idol, you've just got
to show your best. That helped me. So, yeah, I was fighting for every
point."
Potapova is one of
several teenagers making their presence felt on the WTA Tour this year.
Czech Vondrousova
claimed a surprise win over reigning French Open champion Simona Halep last
week in Rome, while 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova reached the
Australian Open last 16 and Canada's Bianca Andreescu, 18, was a shock title
winner at Indian Wells.
Potapova admitted
that the attention that comes with winning such a big match on Court Philippe
Chatrier was something new.
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"My phone is
exploding right now, you know, social media, anything, WhatsApp, the
messengers."
The draw could open
up nicely for Potapova, too, with 28th seed Carla Suarez Navarro the
highest-ranked player she can face before the fourth round.
Rising Greek star
Stefanos Tsitsipas moved into the French Open second round on Sunday with a
comfortable straight-sets win over Maximilian Marterer on Court Philippe
Chatrier.
The 20-year-old
sixth seed, a semi-finalist at the Australian Open earlier this year, brushed
aside German Marterer 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4).
Tsitsipas raced into
a 2-0 lead and edged a third-set tie-break to see off an opponent who reached
the fourth round in Paris last year.
"It was a
difficult first match... In the tie-break I managed to play like I did in the
first two sets," said Tsitsipas, who was playing on the Roland Garros show
court for the first time.
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"These are the
moments we're practising for and dreaming of, I'm really happy to play
here."
Tsitsipas will next
face either Indian Prajnesh Gunneswaran or Bolivia's Hugo Dellien as he looks
to reach the third round for the first time.