March 26, (THEWILL) – Anastasia Potapova produced the biggest win of her career at the Miami Open by defeating sixth seed Coco Gauff, in a dramatic three-set match.
Gauff fought back from 5-2 down to take the opening set but was unable to maintain her momentum against a resilient Potapova. The Russian clawed her way back to take the match 7-6(8) 5-7 2-6 and reach the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time.
Potapova dominated the early stages, racing to a 3-0 lead before Gauff fought back to take the first set in a tiebreak. However, the American struggled to maintain her consistency and was ultimately let down by her forehand, allowing Potapova to take control and secure the victory after two-and-a-half hours of play.
After the match, Potapova expressed her delight at reaching the fourth round for the first time and credited her fitness coach for helping her stay at the same level as Gauff.
Meanwhile, Gauff will be left to reflect on a missed opportunity as she exits the tournament earlier than expected.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
