“I’m shocked, I can’t believe the match is over and I’m standing here doing an interview now,” Kalinskaya said after improving to 3-0 lifetime against Potapova. “What a match – unbelievable fight from both of us until the last second.
“I’ve played against her many times but this one was definitely special – she improved a lot so today was super challenging.”
On a beautiful Monday afternoon on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, two polar opposites angled for one common goal: a trip to a maiden quarterfinal on the Parisian clay.
Jangled nerves, marathon games, missed opportunities, highlight reel rallies, second chances – this one had it all, including eight breaks of serve in a wild final set that saw Potapova rally from 4-1 down to serve for the match twice.
