Former junior world number one #AnastasiaPotapova finally managed to break through on the senior circuit as the Russian youngster tasted some success on the WTA tour after a transition period from the ITF Women’s Circuit. The rising star started the year outside the world’s top-200 but her achievements included breaking into the top-100 for the first time in her career — and she is determined to prove that she belongs there.
Amassing a decent 27-13 (.675) overall win-loss record throughout the entire year, Potapova owns an impressive 6-2 record against players ranked inside the top-100. Participating in just four WTA tournaments, the Russian reached the finals in two of them and rattling off a total of nine wins in the midst.
High Points of the Season
Potapova started her season in the best way possible — reaching the final of the ITF 15k event in Sharm El Sheikh with ease. However, the youngster was stunned by the unknown Yuliya Hatouka in the final despite being the huge favourite to claim her second senior title as the top seed.
Potapova was handed the huge responsibility of saving Russia from the brink of elimination from the Fed Cup World Group II. Trailing 1-2 against Slovakia, team captain Anastasia Myskina opted to let the 16-year-old Potapova make her debut in an all-or-nothing fourth rubber against the hard-hitting Viktoria Kuzmova. Despite having her chances and leading by a set, Potapova fell in three heartbreaking sets which saw Russia falling to a shock defeat ultimately.
Receiving a wildcard into her second WTA main draw appearance at the St. Petersburg Ladies’ Trophy, Potapova made full use of her opportunity and claimed her maiden main draw victory over the dangerous world number 49 Tatjana Maria in the opening round. This set up a mouthwatering clash between her, the former junior number one, and then-current world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the second round although the encounter did not live up to the hype it received — with Potapova being crushed with a 0-6, 1-6 scoreline.
The Russian youngster excelled on her home ground once again, this time at the ITF 100k event in Khimki. Potapova steered past Margarita Gasparyan in a high-quality first-round clash before overcoming Evgeniya Rodina and top-100 player Monica Niculescu to reach the final but came off second-best against the hard-hitting Vera Lapko in straight sets.
Potapova’s first career clay final came at the ITF 60k event in Rome, where she ousted a series of higher-ranked quality opponents but was vanquished by fellow rising star Dayana Yastremska with a surprisingly one-sided 1-6, 0-6 scoreline.
Given the golden opportunity to compete at the Moscow River Cup, Potapova strolled past Viktoriya Tomova with the loss of just two games before upsetting top-100 players Kristyna Pliskova and Tamara Zidansek to reach the biggest final of her career. Leaving everything out on the court, the Russian poured her heart out and gave it her all, but still failed to complete the win against good friend and rival Olga Danilovic in a historic clash between two teenagers. This run brought her into the world’s top-150 for the first time in her career.
Potapova’s second WTA final arrived sooner than expected — getting past the qualifying rounds at the Tashkent Open before retrieving from a 0-3 deficit in the decider to upset fourth seed Stefanie Voegele. Exacting revenge over Danilovic in the second round, Potapova eased past Kateryna Kozlova in the semifinals to set up an all-Russian clash with Margarita Gasparyan. Nerves overwhelmed the youngster as she failed to find her ‘A’ game, failing to put up a tough challenge as she claimed just three consolation games in the final
Cracking the top-100 with the help of two WTA finals, Potapova has proven herself to be one of the game’s biggest rising stars. Her talent was recognized by the Russian Tennis Federation who handed her a wildcard into the Kremlin Cup, where she fought against eighth seed Anett Kontaveit but failed to consolidate her lead against the Estonian who escaped with the victory. Nonetheless, her performance proved that she can challenge the best players in the world.
Low Points of the Season
After her performance which impressed many in Fed Cup, Potapova competed at the ITF 25k event in Altenkirchen. However, she failed to adapt to the vastly different conditions and was stunned by qualifier Laura Ioana Andrei in the opening round of the main draw. She was then vanquished by Viktoria Kuzmova, yet again, but this time in the quarterfinals of the ITF 60k event in Istanbul with a one-sided 1-6, 2-6 scoreline.
Consecutive first-round exits came in ITF tournaments held in Trnava and Caserta. She put up against Anna Blinkova in a blockbuster first-round match in Trnava but ultimately fell in straight sets, but her performance in Caserta was extremely disappointing as she was conquered by 552nd-ranked Ludmilla Samsonova in three sets.
The US Open was Potapova’s first Major tournament after breaking through at the Moscow International. She was expected to ease through the qualifying rounds but surprisingly fell in the final round of qualifying to the lower-ranked Julia Glushko and therefore failed to make her debut in the main draw of the US Open.
Season Grade: B+
It has been an extremely successful season for Potapova — who started 2018 with just one WTA main draw appearance and lingering outside the top-200 of the rankings for her entire career. She ends the year having reached two WTA finals and entering the top-100, and therefore securing a place in the main draw of the Australian Open next year.
Potapova has shown that she has the capability to belong to the top, and is attempting to prove her credentials in her first full year on the WTA tour in 2019. The Russian youngster is on the right track and she should be exposed to the international stage with a deep run at a Major tournament soon. After her fighting spirit impressed many this year, Potapova’s a name to watch for in 2019.
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