PARIS : Anna Kalinskaya reached her first French Open quarter-final and only the second Grand Slam quarter-final of her career with a hard-fought 6-4 2-6 7-6(10-7) victory over fellow Russian Anastasia Potapova on Monday.
The 22nd seed, who also reached the quarter-finals of the 2024 Australian Open, battled through a tense contest lasting two hours and 49 minutes on Court Suzanne Lenglen to secure a place in the last eight at Roland Garros for the first time.
Kalinskaya will next face either Diane Parry or Maja Chwalinska as she looks to reach her maiden Grand Slam semi-final.
Potapova, seeded 28th and fresh from her third-round upset of defending champion Coco Gauff, made a flying start by racing to a 4-1 lead in the opening set. However, Kalinskaya recovered impressively, winning five straight games to take control of the match.
Potapova responded strongly in the second set, breaking early and maintaining her advantage to level the contest and force a decider.
The third set featured multiple momentum swings. Kalinskaya moved ahead 4-1 before Potapova fought back, eventually earning the chance to serve for the match at 5-4. Kalinskaya broke back immediately, and neither player could establish a decisive edge as the set headed to a match tiebreak.
In the crucial moments, Kalinskaya produced the steadier tennis, edging the tiebreak 10-7 to seal victory.
With defending champion Coco Gauff and four-time champion Iga Swiatek already eliminated, world number one Aryna Sabalenka has emerged as the leading contender in an increasingly open women’s draw.
