Anna Kalinskaya produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of this year's Roland-Garros. Trailing 1-4 in the deciding set against Anastasia Potapova, the Russian dug deep to win 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7) in 2 hours and 50 minutes, reaching her first French Open quarterfinal.
The match seemed lost for the 22nd seed when Potapova served for the match twice, at 5-4 and 6-5 in the third set. Both times, Kalinskaya found the answers to break back. In the decisive 10-point tiebreak, she won 9 of the last 12 points with aggressive play that brought the Suzanne-Lenglen crowd to its feet.
"I don't have any nerves left," Kalinskaya admitted after the match, still visibly shaken by the intensity of the encounter. Both players hit 32 winners, but it was Kalinskaya's willingness to take risks in the clutch moments that made the difference, despite 58 unforced errors to Potapova's 49.
The result improves Kalinskaya's perfect head-to-head record against her compatriot to 3-0 and marks her second career Grand Slam quarterfinal after the 2024 Australian Open. Having already saved nine match points against Siniakova in Rome earlier this season, the 22nd seed is building a reputation as one of the toughest competitors to close out on tour.
She will face either Diane Parry or Maja Chwalinska in the quarterfinals, with a potential semifinal berth in sight.
